Summer Of Him
by degrassian98
Summary: Lola is graduating from Degrassi and ready to face the rest of her life. However, when everything she thought was sure falls apart, she only has one person she can fully rely on: the one boy who truly let her down.
1. Chapter 1

Lola took deep, steep breaths. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. She was graduating high school in just half an hour. She and her high school besties were putting on their robes in an empty classroom due to an overflow in the normal dressing rooms and everything just felt... _right_.

"I wish Simpson had taken my suggestion for custom robes more seriously. We'd all be looking ten times better rocking our fave colors with accessories and all. I mean, I really think I could've done a great service to this school styling the clueless kids here. But instead, we're all stuck wearing the same ugly, shapeless..." She trailed off, turning to look into a mirror and frowning at the deep blue robe she was being forced to wear. "I mean, seriously? Blah, baggy blue? Who picked these? Where's the fashion sense?"

Frankie and Shay responded with a joined giggle. "Seriously, Lo?" Frankie responded, acting as if Lola's idea was the dumbest thing ever. Lola couldn't lie, she wouldn't miss being treated like a complete idiot by those around her just because she was a little ditsy sometimes. She'd grown and learned so much, developing into what she'd consider to be a pretty wise and mature person. Yet she was still treated like a dummy to this day. Like everything she said was just materialistic, uninformed babble.

She ignored the snickers of her so-called friends, though. Because after today, she wouldn't have to see anyone from high school again. Sure, she'd miss Frankie and Shay, but having a fresh start where nobody knew that she was a bit more than scatterbrained for a fraction of her life sounded like just what she needed to finally let go of that part of herself. She hadn't figured out college yet, and she'd decided not to even apply, but everyone else had, and nobody she had any deep connections to was sticking around. Frankie was heading to Hudson University, Shay was off to the University of Florida, Yael and Hunter were going to MIT... So on and so forth. Most of her close buds weren't even going to be in the country, let alone in Toronto.

So even if she ended up working at the cantina for a year or two, nobody from Degrassi who knew ditsy freshman Lola would ever grace her presence again. Wishful thinking. She'd become a new and improved Lola and find who she was supposed to be without the confines of high school.

"I think the blue works just fine. It's one of our school colors, after all. Would you rather be in _Panther gold_?" Shay asked in a teasing tone, knowing it would elicit the exact reaction Lola gave. A visceral feeling of repulsion. Panther gold was basically yellow. And nobody on earth could pull off a yellow potato sack robe.

"Listen. All I'm saying is that a dusty rose would totally suit my skin tone better. Ooh, or maybe a sparkly champagne!" She spoke, letting herself get excited and noticing her volume was raising. "And I could've coordinated my eyeshadow too. I mean, blue eyeshadow? No thanks. Not a chance. I had to pass up on that _adorable_ idea." She paused. "And Shay, you'd look so much better in a ruby red. Franks, you're a total..." She was cut off by someone else entering the room. Miles.

"Frankie is a _total_ chartreuse." Miles chimed in with a mocking tone. Mocking, but not mean. More playful, really.

Lola and Miles hadn't talked since Miles left for London. They'd had a short... _encounter_ after Miles graduated and Lola learned he was single. He was vulnerable, and once again, came running to Lola Pacini. Typical Hollingsworth behavior. Running back to what was comfortable. What was it called when you continue a one night stand almost a year later with another night?

After the two had reignited their spark, Miles disappeared. Off to London without even an _emoji_ letting Lola know how he felt. So messed up. And he knew he messed up, which is why he started the conversation with something that was sure to distract Lola from his sudden disappearance almost a year earlier.

"Are you _kidding_ me? Frankie shouldn't be caught dead in anything but olive green. That's her color. The idea that _anyone_ would look good in a chartreuse robe is a totally disgusting statement, anyway. It's a color that should be erased from our memories and color wheels for eternity."

Frankie and Shay both had widened eyes at the sight of Lola and Miles in the same room. Their glances were just darting back and forth. Frankie to Shay, Shay to Frankie, both girls to Lola, and then to Miles. Sometimes Lola wished she'd never told her two best friends about her sexy times with Miles. Their knowledge of the whole situation made it so much harder to be in the same room with Miles now. Everyone had _expectations_ now. They were all watching with their stupid hawk eyes or whatever. Lola didn't even know how she felt, so the last thing she was in the mood for was having to make every single move into a performance to appease everyone else's curiosities.

"Hey there. I like the silver hair." Miles started, and Lola subconsciously reached for her hair, which now flowed just past her shoulders, and for this special occasion, had been straightened with her overgrown bangs pinned back. "It suits you. The more mature post-grad you, of course."

Miles knew the exact reason why Lola had chosen this hair color, because of course he did. She'd chosen a more muted color to reflect her transition into adulthood. Candy colored Lola was a girl of the past. But she didn't want her decisions to be so predictable and obvious, which apparently they were. At least to Miles they were.

She turned up her nose at Miles, trying to stick it to him in the only way she knew how. The silent treatment. The truth, however, was that as the memories of the heartbreak she'd felt because of Miles came rushing back, she knew that her voice was going to get shakier, and her breath would hitch. Crying in front of a boy was so not Lola's style, so silence was the way to go.

"Well, I gotta go grab seats for me and Vivian. There's a bunch of people here. The seats are going like hotcakes. You guys should be proud of making it through. All of you." He said, clearly eyeing Lola but pretending it was for all three girls. "See ya up on the stage. Don't trip."

He shut the door behind him and as soon as the 'slam' sounded, Frankie started apologizing immediately. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Lo, I'm so sorry. I swear, I didn't even know he was dating anyone until they got in late last night. We met him where the private jet landed and when he stepped off, they were hand in hand. He kept it from all of us. My mom was totally freaking out too. And you don't even want to hear what my dad had to say. I hadn't seen him this mad since before he went to anger management. I thought the vein in his forehead was gonna explode and I was gonna totally get blood all over me... And now I'm rambling. I'm sorry."

It took Lola a few seconds to even realize what was happening. She was so thrown off from Miles's unexpected appearance that she didn't even comprehend what he'd said before he left. He'd mentioned a girl. A girl named Vivian. He had completely moved on while he was in London, and every little glance Lola had thought she interpreted was completely in her head.

"A girlfriend?" Lola said. Suddenly, all of the stress and anxiety about walking at graduation had disappeared from her mind. She'd almost completely forgotten altogether that graduation was today. "Miles has a girlfriend." She stated the obvious. "Miles has a girlfriend." She repeated. It felt like her brain was broken all of a sudden. "I can't believe he has a girlfriend. Of course he has a girlfriend. He's Miles. He's..." She stopped herself before she revealed how much she truly cared about the Hollingsworth boy. As far as Frankie and Shay knew, Lola and Miles had slept together twice, and he was nothing but another name on Lola's list. But the truth was, he was _the_ name on her list. Nobody measured up to him, and nobody took his place. He was still the only guy Lola had slept with after over a year of pining.

The less people who knew about Lola's pathetic crush, the better. Lola couldn't exactly paint herself as the cool girl when she was totally in love with a guy who didn't love her back.


	2. Chapter 2

The graduation went off without a hitch. All of the seniors, including Esme, who had been held back the year before, walked across the stage without a problem. Who knew that through all of the drama these teens went through, high school graduation would be the easiest part. And now, it was time for the teens to become adults, and go off and do their own things. And that included Lola.

"Where is she?" Lola questioned, poking Frankie's ribs and causing the brunette girl to jump out of her skin. "Miles sat alone throughout the whole ceremony!"

Throughout the entire ceremony, Lola had turned around every few seconds and kept her eyes on Miles. She knew it was far too obvious, but it was an impulse thing that she just couldn't seem to get under control. When she walked across the stage, she almost tripped because she had her eyes locked onto Miles. But the thing bewildering her was the fact that this supposed girlfriend, Vivian, was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't know. I saw her for like five seconds last night and that's it. Maybe there was an emergency?" Frankie tried to rationalize, despite the fact that it was clear that the girl had no idea. "Does it matter where my dumb brother's girlfriend is? We just graduated high school."

Lola nodded. She knew Frankie was right. She knew that she had to stop thinking about Miles and start being excited for herself. She was past being the boy-crazy ditz. She did something amazing, and she deserved celebration.

"So, what are you guys doing tonight?" Shay asked. "My parents are taking me out for sushi. Yum."

Frankie gasped. "Uh, no you're not! You're invited to the Hollingsworth house for a pool party."

Another pool party. Damn. These Hollingsworth kids were going to have an issue when they moved away from home and couldn't constantly buy everyone's love by throwing an impulsive pool party at their mansion. Then again, their trust funds would probably buy them each a mansion with their own fabulous pool. Part of Lola was jealous, but part of her liked the concept of having to work for what she was going to have one day. It may not be a mansion, but it'd be hers.

"I can't tonight. I'm sorry, Franks. We've had this reservation for weeks." Shay said.

"I guess it's just you, me, and the rest of Degrassi, then. Just come home with me, you can borrow a swimsuit." Frankie said, wrapping her arm around Lola.

If she was being honest, Lola wasn't exactly planning on going to the party once she saw that Miles was in town. She knew he'd be creeping around the party, looking adorable and tempting her. But now she felt sort of roped into it, since Shay was ditching. One night at a party couldn't be the worst thing ever, right? What horrific thing could happen in one night?

"Fine, I'll go, but there's not a chance in the world I'm borrowing one of your suits. You have no butt, and I'd totally stretch yours out." Lola said. It was true that she couldn't possibly borrow one of Frankie's suits, but she also wanted to look her best. If she was going to be forced to see Miles and his new girl make out all night, she might as well look hot in the process. Who knew? Maybe someone would bring their hot cousin from out of town or something. She could use a new crush. "You know what? Let's go shopping. We can find you something new too."

Of course, Frankie was totally into the idea. What seventeen year old girl wasn't into the idea of going bikini shopping?

The two girls gave hugs and signed yearbooks, and hugged Shay goodbye. After all, Shay was going to FSU early in order to start her training. Lola couldn't imagine hopping from high school directly to college. She had to applaud Shay for her driven nature. She didn't know anyone who was half as dedicated to their education and their sports. And honestly, that wasn't really her type of friend. She wasn't sure if her friendship with Shay would last the long distance.

As the girls said their final goodbyes, Lola felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Miles. "Viv had to go handle something for the next few hours. Can I join you guys?" Something about Miles's tone was off. Like Vivian 'handling' something was an excuse. But maybe Lola was just reading too much into this. She was thinking a bit too wishfully.

"Yeah, sure. You can help judge Lo and I's bikinis." Frankie said, looking to Lola as if she was giving the silver haired girl a favor. Like she was setting the two up for some sort of magical reunion.

Miles made a face. One that Lola couldn't decipher. "I'll help with Lola. I'm not interested in looking at my little sis's body. Sorry Franks."

The idea of Miles looking over Lola's body and judging it suddenly filled Lola with self consciousness. She knew he liked her body, and she knew she liked her own body, so what the hell was she so worried about? It was just another set of eyes saying yes or no. No tension. Nothing like that. She just had to keep convincing herself, and maybe the idea that there wouldn't be anything behind this bikini judging might come true. Maybe.

The three made their way to a local boutique. Lola was silently cursing Frankie for inviting Miles along. His presence turned the bikini shopping from two best friends picking out hot bikinis to show off their bodies at a post-grad party to Frankie watching the Miles and Lola show to see what mess happened next. Lola knew Frankie did this partly because she was nosy and curious. She wanted to see where things were going. Why she cared so much, Lola would never know. But that was just who Frankie Hollingsworth was.

"We should be able to find something cute here." Frankie said, and Lola nodded. The girls had found many a cute outfit and bikini in this shop. "How hot would Lola look in this, Miles?" Frankie picked up a hanger that held a barely-there mess of black strings. Lola turned her head sideways trying to figure out how the hell anything in her body would be covered by those thin straps.

"Uh, it's a little much." Miles responded, and the self conscious feeling returned.

Lola knew it was a little much. She didn't even like the bikini. But suddenly, she felt offended that Miles didn't think Lola would look good in it. She took it personally. Stupid teen hormones were making everything way too complicated. She really wished Miles hadn't tagged along.

"How about this one?" Lola picked up a holographic bikini with a bit more coverage to break the awkward ice from the strappy mess Frankie had suggested. "This is good. Cute, right?" She said. Miles didn't respond, however. He just made his way to the seating area that existed mostly for exhausted husbands to sit and contemplate divorce. This was going to be rough.

"Why would you do this to me?" Lola asked Frankie, as soon as Miles was out of earshot. "This was supposed to just be a fun little girl's outing... Now I can't even focus."

Frankie looked relentlessly unsympathetic. It was so hard for Frankie Hollingsworth to understand anyone else's plights. Hence, the mountains of misunderstandings the girl had gotten herself into throughout her four years at Degrassi. She was always so caught up in her own pain and drama, and she had no time to even put others' lives into consideration. "You were drooling all over him, Lo. You're obsessed. I thought him seeing you in a few bikinis might make the girlfriend go bye-bye."

Lola felt nothing but annoyance. "He has a girlfriend." She said sharply. "He wants to be with her. He brought her all the way from London. Seeing me in a swimsuit isn't gonna change anything."

But alas, Frankie had convinced herself that this was her project and that meant she wasn't going to give up. "Why do you think she's not with him right now? Hunter told me they had some sort of blowup before the ceremony and she walked out. This is your time to swoop in and get what you want... Despite the fact that I totally think you could do better than my weirdo brother."

Suddenly, everything felt different. If this were true, if Miles and his new girlfriend were on the outs and ready to break up already... Maybe she had a chance. But did she want one? That was the eternal question. Sure, she loved Miles. Sure, she couldn't get over him and had him in her mind for an entire year... But would they really make it as a couple? And was the drama-filled life of dating a Hollingsworth something that new-and-improved Lola wanted? And would it even last if the two got together? The last thing Lola needed in her life was some crappy breakup that made her new adult life into hell.

"Try this on." Frankie said, shoving a black mesh one piece toward Lola. "Sexy, but sophisticated. Everyone and their mothers will have their eyes on you."

"There'll be peoples' moms there?" Lola questioned, but Frankie cut her off with a laugh.

"No. It's just a saying Lola." Lola pulled the price tag to see how much she'd be dropping, and before she could read the numbers on the small slip of paper, Frankie slapped her hand. Hard. "My treat. Think of it as a little graduation present. From me to you. Congratulations, Lola. Welcome to the rest of your life." She said.


	3. Chapter 3

"This is the _worst_." Lola groaned, tightening the straps on the black mesh bathing suit she'd settled on. If she was honest, she probably could've found a cuter one, but this one worked, and the emotional drainage from the surprise Miles appearance had taken away all of her swimsuit shopping excitement.

"I think it looks really cute on you." Frankie said distractedly. She was busy staring into the mirror with her hands cupping her breasts and trying to push them up and make them look bigger. It wasn't working, but it was a noble effort on Frankie's part. Frankie had decided on a blue string bikini with embroidered flowers. It was cute, but it wasn't anything that Frankie didn't totally already own. Frankie tended to stick with what was comfortable. Which was fine for her, but Lola strived for more. That was the difference between the two girls. One difference of many, as Lola was finding the more she grew up.

Lola crinkled her nose. "I'm not talking about the bathing suit, Franks. I'm talking about..." Her voice lowered, just in case Miles was for some reason right outside of the dressing room and could hear them talking, "Miles." She cringed as she said his name. This whole situation just made her heart ache with heartbreak and anxiety. Every time she saw Miles, she fell deeper for him. And she just had to continue to pretend she was fine because she was never going to be his first choice. Lola was never anyone's first choice.

"Hunter told me that he and his girlfriend were really going at it." Frankie said hopefully. It seemed weird to be happy at the fact that a couple was so unhappy. "You can, you know... shoot your shot while she's gone, or whatever. Get his attention at the party tonight. He shouldn't be able to resist you in this get up."

Lola wanted to. She wanted to seize the moment and take the chance and win Miles over. But she knew it'd be hopeless. She'd put so much of her attention and affection toward Miles when he was with Tristan, and it blew up in her face. Once he left, she'd spent many a night drafting texts about how much she missed him, how thankful she was for him... Everything. She'd only sent two texts throughout the year that he was away, but he'd never even replied. So obviously, he wasn't thinking of her the same way. And she wasn't going to be that girl again. She couldn't bear to try, try, try, and fail again. It'd crush her. It'd ruin her.

She posed in the mirror, accentuating her curves as much as possible, and faked a grin. "I'm not gonna actively try to get his attention, but if he can't resist... He can't resist." She said, feeling devious and scheme-y. It'd been a while since she pulled a fast one on anyone. And honestly, this wasn't really a 'fast one'. But it was the most she was going to do.

The two girls exited the dressing room they were squeezed into and approached Miles, who had his eyes glued to his phone. Probably texting Vivian.

"What do you think?" Frankie asked, and Miles looked up from his phone. His vacant stare turned into a widened gaze. Toward Lola. His eyes on Lola made her almost self conscious. He was scanning her like no other. It was only a few seconds before he spoke, but it felt like an eternity. His ogling made Lola's heart race.

"Why do you care what I think?" Miles forced out. Lola could tell he was fumbling on his words. His brain was totally on overdrive. And it felt good. Knowing she had that effect on Miles felt fantastic. "I mean," He started, backtracking the tone he'd started with, knowing it could upset the fragile teen girls. "I think... they're good. Frankie, you could cover up a little more. I don't want everyone staring at my little sister."

Maybe Lola was reading too far into this, but... Did Miles not care about people staring at Lola? She knew the relationship between a brother and sister was way different than a boy and a girl who had slept together twice, but... She was reading too far into this. Way too far. But she couldn't help it. She just wanted to know what was going on in the mind of that frustrating, mystifying Hollingsworth boy.

"What about Lola?" Frankie asked. Of course Frankie asked that. She was bored with her own life, and the lack of romance in it, so she _had_ to meddle in Lola's.

Miles looked like a deer in the headlights. "Uh," He looked down at his phone again, then back at Lola. "Looks good. Very... Looks good."

Again, Lola found herself wanting to live in the moment where Miles was starstruck by her forever. The attention was making her thrive. "Thanks." She said simply, not letting her cards show. If he was going to be mysterious, she could be too.

Frankie looked at Lola with hope in her eyes, and Lola caught herself wondering when the hell Frankie started caring about Miles and Lola together. All of a sudden, they were Frankie's OTP or something. Weird as all hell, but Frankie did always like her projects. "You two talk amongst yourselves. I'm gonna go pay for these suits, and we can just walk out wearing them." She said, sauntering off to the checkout counter.

The two teenagers stood in silence for a moment. Miles was leaned up against the wall now, and Lola had her arms crossed in the most awkward stance known to man. She noticed that her body language was closed off, so she corrected it, uncrossing her arms and jutting out her hips. Her arms swung by her side, still awkwardly. "So, how was London?" She asked. "I've always wanted to go to London Fashion Week."

"It's-uh, good. I don't know about Fashion Week, though. Must've missed it this past year." He said, seemingly noticing Lola's body language before his eyes darted back to his phone.

It had never been this hard for Miles and Lola to interact. Never. Even before they got to know each other better the year before, they had a pretty good rapport. As good as it could've been for an older brother and his little sister's best friend. And then they met again in the hallway, and everything just fell together. They had chemistry. The words flew from their minds to their mouths. They laughed, cried, and confided in one another about any and everything. Miles was the only one who knew the full story about Lola's mom leaving. She hadn't even shared those intimate details with Frankie or Shay. They'd talked for hours upon end during their first little stint while Tristan was in the hospital. And even when they reunited after Miles graduated... it wasn't like this. They still clicked. But now, it seemed different.

The spark wasn't gone by any measure. Lola still felt the fire in her belly when she saw him. She still felt the butterflies fighting a violent war from inside of her. But suddenly, it felt like the wire that went from her brain to her mouth was frayed and breaking apart. She didn't even know what to say. Where to start.

"I'm sorry." She started. Those words caught Lola by surprise as much as they caught Miles. She didn't even know why she was apologizing. But she was.

"Why?" Miles responded, slipping his phone into his pocket, finally giving the silver haired girl his full attention.

Lola looked down at her pedicured toes. They were painted Panther Blue with gold glitter. For graduation. Graduation had only taken place a couple hours prior at this point, but the memory was starting to float away as if it was weeks ago. Too much on her brain, probably. "I don't know. I feel like everything between us is messed up now. And it's probably my fault."

Miles straightened his posture. "It's not." He started, looking intently at Lola. "Your fault, I mean. You didn't do anything. I was the one who treated you like crap and then disappeared. I mean, I ditched you the second Tristan woke up from the coma, and then as soon as Tris and I broke up, I came running back. I made you feel like a second choice. And out of all people, I should know that making you feel that way was totally wrong of me. I know your past better than anyone." He paused, eyeing Frankie, who was now just gabbing to the cashier. It was a matter of time before the brunette girl made her way back over. "And I'm sorry." He said. "I really am. For not replying to you. For leaving without a word. It was...messed up. I was messed up. I was messed up over Tristan and I couldn't handle another goodbye. The goodbye from him made my insides feel like they were rotting. I couldn't imagine how it'd feel to say goodbye to another person I loved. So I just didn't."

At that moment, all Lola wanted to do was reach over and cup his face and kiss him. But she knew that wasn't the right thing to do. This apology didn't suddenly mean that Miles wanted to be with her. It just meant he had a way with words.

Lola's phone buzzed. A text from Frankie that said 'scratch your nose if you want me to come back over'.

She sighed before reaching her finger to the tip of her nose and scratching. The truth was, she wanted to talk to Miles for about ten more hours and then end the night in bed with him. But she had to save herself. Save her heart from breaking once again.

"Hey guys!" Frankie said as she approached the situation in nothing but a bikini. "Ready to go?" She asked.

Miles looked completely wrecked. Like the apology had taken all of his energy from him. But he still managed to muster some words. "Might want to put on clothes before we go anywhere?"

He looked over to Lola, and she avoided eye contact. This night was going to be harder than she thought. And suddenly, she wasn't excited at all.


	4. Chapter 4

When Lola arrived at the Hollingsworth mansion with Miles and Frankie, it was crunch time. They had an entire pool area to decorate, caterers to order around, and... about a million different things that Lola never knew went into the Hollingsworth's seemingly impromptu high school parties. Usually, all Lola had to do was show up. But now that she was around pre-party, it was a whole different story. They only had about an hour and a half before the partiers started to show up.

"Miles, could you go grab the decorations I overnighted? Mom texted me while we were at the store and let me know they were delivered to the foyer." Frankie spoke, clearly encouraging the teenage boy to leave her and Lola alone to gab.

He nodded, clearly still in a weird trance from revealing his feelings to Lola. "Sure thing." He said, glancing at Lola and then down at the ground.

"We will go to the kitchen and check in on the caterers." Frankie linked her arm with Lola's. "And sample the food." She stated, beginning to walk with the silver haired girl toward the kitchen. "And you are going to tell me every freaking detail of that encounter before I explode!" Every single word that came out of Frankie's mouth had an increased level of volume and speed.

Lola sighed as they approached the kitchen. "I can't really explain it, Franks. All I wanted was to hear from him and know how he was feeling. And then he finally did it, and... I just feel weird." She said. "Like I can't be around him."

Frankie looked perplexed. These things _were_ complicated, but Lola didn't even have it in her to explain. She could barely comprehend her feelings internally. She couldn't imagine trying to make it intelligible to someone else. Especially someone like Frankie, who liked to ask a gajillion questions before letting anything go.

"All I know is that I'm going to try to stay out of his way. He has a girlfriend, and I don't wanna ruin that. Or be his second choice again."

The two girls sat on barstools and the caterers instinctively brought tiny, dainty plates covered in appetizers to them. Ah, to live the life Frankie lived on a daily basis. This probably felt like no biggie to the Hollingsworth girl. You sit down, and people bring you world-class food.

"Do you love him?" Frankie asked out of the blue. The two had talked about the whole Miles sitch time and time again, but that question had never came up. And Lola was always thankful that she'd dodged that bullet. But the bullet had arrived, and shot her right in the chest. Her heart hurt as she thought about it. Her chest ached as she tried to figure out the right words to say. She knew the answer. She knew the answer from that first night they slept together. As much as she tried to deny it in order to keep from fitting into the clingy stereotype that fell onto girls after they lost their virginities... But the truth?

"Yes." Lola said, simply, which prompted Frankie to cup her hands over her face in the most dramatic way possible. "But it doesn't matter. I'm not going to keep trying for someone who doesn't want to pursue something real. That's what happened with Tiny. He wanted me, but he didn't want to put me first. And then as soon as I let him go, he fell head over heels for Shay. If I let Miles go, he gets a chance at real love with Vivian, or whoever he's meant to be with." She paused, popping a crab puff into her mouth. She wasn't hungry at all if she was being honest. Her stomach was twisting and turning. But she didn't want to be disrespectful to the caterer who had placed the plate in front of her, and she didn't want to worry Frankie by not scarfing down the appetizers. "And I'll find my person."

Frankie actually looked incredibly sympathetic. "That's how I felt about Jonah and Grace after a while. I didn't want to let him go, but... it was the right thing to do. He loves her more than he ever loved me. I can just tell from looking at them."

There was a tinge of sadness in the brunette girl's voice. She'd never fully gotten over Jonah Haak. She'd stopped talking about him after he left Degrassi, but she never moved on.

"So if I love him, I let him go." Lola responded, and Frankie nodded, confirming that was the advice she was giving. And it really sounded so simple and easy. Just let him go. Let Miles Hollingsworth go.

But she didn't know how the hell she could do that. He was so important to her, and from what he said in the boutique, she obviously meant something to him. Not as much as Tristan had meant to him, or probably his new girlfriend... But it was so much easier to pretend she was okay with losing Tiny, and that pain was still excruciating. She'd bonded with Miles over the grief she felt losing Tiny. And now Miles had turned into a whole new source of grief. And it hurt.

Was this some sort of cycle? Was this how life worked? First, her mother had left her in pieces. She just split and never looked back. That killed Lola. And then finally, she felt herself finding some sense of healing and fell for Tiny. Tiny made her feel so important. Like she had a purpose. And then Tiny abandoned her for her own best friend. Finally, she'd found someone who understood the pain she couldn't vocalize, and then... He left too. He left her when Tristan woke up, and then again when he left for London. Everyone was always leaving her. And every time she felt like she was recovering from one loss, another one punched her in the gut.

Lola held a fancy hors d'oeuvre in her hand. It was some sort of stuffed shrimp. She wondered why the Hollingsworths were going all out for this party. Lola guessed it was because both Frankie and Hunter were going to be heading off into the world and leaving the nest, and they wanted to throw one last big event before they were on their own. If Lola really thought about it, the largeness of this party wasn't so outlandish. She thought back to Hunter and Frankie's fifteenth birthday party, where everyone was decked out in twenties gear and there was even a pony. _That_ was a ridiculous get together.

"I guess I'll start tonight. Find a hottie. Someone has ought to bring a hot cousin or brother along." She said, revisiting her original plan before everything got so complicated. Plan find Lola Pacini a hot pair of lips is a go." She said.


	5. Chapter 5

The party had officially begun. Frankie had ran off to handle a million party details, and Miles was nowhere to be seen, so Lola was stuck playing the role of greeter. Usually, she was bubbly and excited to interact with her peers, but today was just not one of those days. If she had to greet one more kid she'd passed in the hall once or twice as if they were her best friend, she'd hurl. Suddenly, though, there was a saving grace. Yael.

"I don't usually participate in this crap," they paused, holding up a red cup full of alcohol. "But I graduated high school today." Yael stated with a tinge of pride in their voice. "So you know what? I'm gonna watch some drunk teens frolic in a pool for a few hours. And because of where I am..." They paused, gesturing to the fact that they were at their ex's house for the first time since the two had split. "I'm gonna drink whatever the hell this is and let it effect me however it's going to effect me."

Lola grinned at her friend. The two had grown closer and closer throughout their high school years. Befriending Yael was something Lola didn't think would happen after their first few encounters, one of them including an argument about makeup, where Yael basically called Lola an idiot for liking makeup. However, they'd reconciled, and honestly... Yael was one of Lola's closest friends. And Lola looked up to them more than anyone else. After all, they were a total badass.

"You know what?" Lola said. "I'm abandoning my post as greeter. Everyone in Toronto has been to a Hollingsworth party by now. They know their way around." She reached over to Yael's cup to sneak a drink, but got her hand slapped away.

"If you wanna drink, you're gonna have to get your own." Yael said. "Hunter has been creeping by the drink table, I think in an attempt to get me to notice him or something. I don't know. But I'm just gonna nurse this one and hope one drink it enough for a buzz."

Lola furrowed her brows. She wasn't a big drinker, but she knew that one drink, even a decently strong one, probably wasn't going to be enough for her. After all, she had Argentinian blood. She'd watched her brothers and uncles down a bottle of the world's best Tequila in ten minutes flat and drive home a few hours later.

"That's not gonna work for us, is it?" Lola said, and Yael didn't respond other than giving a confused glance. "I've got a solution." And before Yael could even respond, Lola had stormed off. She was a girl on a mission. She knew where the Hollingsworths hid their top shelf liquor when a teen party was going on, and if she was about to get drunk tonight, she may as well get drunk off of the good stuff.

Yael followed closely behind as Lola snuck off to a secret spot in Mr. Hollingsworth's study. The Hollingsworth parental units has disappeared for the night to allow for maximum partying, so Lola knew she was unlikely to get in trouble for invading the patriarch's personal study. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Yael asked.

"Of course not. But what fun came out of a good idea?" Lola answered, her fingers finding a fancy bottle of champagne that Miles had once told her about. Supposedly, it cost over a thousand dollars. It was one of many bottles scattered across the study like decorations. Usually, she'd never run the risk of Miles, Frankie, or Hunter getting in trouble. But moving on meant she had to stop considering Miles in every situation ever. And honestly, she just wanted to have some fun. There was no reason to believe some other drunk loser hadn't stumbled into the study, which was only a few rooms away from the kitchen.

After a big struggle, Lola popped the cork and spilled some champagne on the carpet. "Whoops." She said, but shrugged as she brought the bottle to her lips, taking a quick but full swig. She had heard a rumor that the faster you drank alcohol, the more it'd affect you. She guessed that was why shots existed. She handed the bottle to Yael and began to talk as her friend took small sips.

"How weird is it being here after...you know, you and Hunter broke up?" Lola asked. Part of her was angling for some sort of secret answer, something that would make being around Miles easier. After all, if she weren't close with Frankie, she sure as hell wouldn't be near the Hollingsworth's mansion knowing Miles was around.

Yael handed the bottle of champagne back to Lola and sighed before answering. "It's hard. It took a lot for me to come tonight. And honestly, I changed my mind a million times. The only reason I finally made the decision to come was because my mom wouldn't stop asking about my future. I mean, I got into MIT. That's a great triumph. But I can't help but wonder if going there is the right decision for me. I don't think I want to move all the way to Massachusetts. Especially considering the only person I'd know there would be Hunter."

"That's ridiculous." Lola said. "You'll meet a bunch of new people. You're great."

However, Yael didn't seem convinced, reaching for the bottle which Lola had been taking large gulps of, and putting her lips to the mouth of the bottle. "I don't know." They said, their voice echoing slightly in the bottle, which was about three quarters full. It's kind of scary. It's a huge school with so many ultra-talented people. What if I don't match up?"

Lola was starting to notice Yael's words slurring just the slightest bit. Considering they had never really drank before, it made sense that they'd start to get tipsy after what equaled about a glass and a half of champagne.

"You'll match up." She replied simply. "If you don't want to move to Massachusetts, then don't. You shouldn't force yourself to move to a completely different country if you're not ready, but if you want this and you're backing away from the opportunity out of fear of matching up... Don't. You're awesome. You got into MIT, after all. They don't just accept everyone." She assumed this. She didn't really know much about technology schools, but it was common sense that only the best and brightest made it into one of the biggest schools.

Yael took a big swig, one that brought the levels of liquid of the bottles from three quarters to almost half. They really wanted to fulfill that goal of getting drunk, apparently.

"I'm gonna cut you off." Lola giggled. "That stuff will go to your head before you know it."

And as she was saying that, she noticed Yael's cheeks transforming from their usual paleness to a rosy pink. Telltale sign of tipsiness.

Lola thought for only a moment before speaking. "Can I tell you something?" She said. The alcohol wasn't affecting her nearly as much as it was hitting Yael, but she surely wasn't completely sober. She pulled the bottle away from Yael and cradled it between her thighs.

"Of course." Yael replied instantly, their voice sounding more slurred with every word.

"Remember that abortion I had?" Lola started. "Well, the dad was Miles." She sipped the drink once again, a few times, in order to gain the confidence to not let her voice shake. "We hooked up while Tristan was in a coma, and then... Tristan woke up, and suddenly I wasn't so important anymore. I felt like crap. And then I started to heal. In fact, you helped me heal. Being around you, I mean. Having a friend who didn't remind me of Miles every time I looked at them. But then after Miles graduated... After prom... He broke up with Tristan." She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, sharpening her breath. "And then he reappeared. Came running back." There was resentment dripping from Lola's voice. "And we slept together again. And then he disappeared. And he never even said goodbye."

Yael furrowed their brows, clearly afraid of how to react. "I'm sorry, Lola." They said, seemingly wishing they had something better or more impactful to say. "He doesn't deserve you. You're awesome."

"I know he doesn't deserve me. But I love him." Lola said hopelessly, bringing the champagne bottle, which was running low, to her lips once again. She could feel herself getting lightheaded from the champagne. It was so strange to Lola how different types of alcohol made you feel different types of drunk. "I wish I didn't, but I can't get over it. And I thought... Maybe I could. But then earlier today he ambushed me with this apology, and now I just..." She buried her head in her hands, feeling the heat on her cheeks from the champagne.

Yael reached for the champagne while Lola's head was down, sneaking it from her grip and taking a giant swig. Lola had said she was cutting Yael off, but she honestly didn't have the energy to stop Yael from stealing the bottle.

"Being here is hard. It's easy to forget how much you miss someone when they aren't around anymore." Yael said, and it struck a cord with Lola.

"You're so wise." She replied.

"I don't know about wise." Yael said. "Maybe drunk." They giggled a giggle that Lola had never heard before, and took a large slug of champagne, finishing the bottle off and dropping it on the floor of the study. The two were sitting criss-crossed on the floor, so the drop wasn't too far. But it still made an unexpectedly loud noise. "By the way," they started. "I knew it was Miles. I mean, I didn't _know_ know, but I knew. I could just tell."

Lola exhaled deeply. "Yeah, I figured it was obvious. What do we do now?" She gestured to the empty champagne bottle. Lola wasn't quite drunk yet, but she was overtaken by an intense need to go on an adventure with Yael, so that had to count for something.

"Go back to the gaggle of drunken teens out there?" Yael said, unsurely.

"We are drunken teens." Lola responded with a chuckle masking her normal voice.

Yael played with the neck of the champagne bottle before dropping it again and making the same clanking noise on the floor. "Then I guess we'll fit right in."

The two friends linked arms and headed out of the study, and back into the party, which had become quite crazy since their disappearance into the study. There were tons of teens wandering around the house, which Lola knew wasn't supposed to happen. One of the biggest rules of Hollingsworth parties was that everyone was supposed to stay out in the open area of the pool. Luke and Neil's violation of Zoe in one of the rooms had ruined that for everyone.

Lola and Yael headed toward the pool, slightly stumbling. Anyone who saw them would totally assume they were on their way to drunkenness, which would be a correct assumption. They weren't quite _run around with no pants on_ drunk, but they were definitely _'fail a field sobriety test'_ drunk. Which was drunker than either of them had ever been, clearly.

As soon as Lola and Yael exited the house they were assaulted by the sounds of loud music and teenagers yelling. They scanned the pool area for familiar faces, but surprisingly, most of the people that Lola and Yael spent their time with weren't around. It was strange. Lola had always felt like she was pretty popular and knew most of the people at Degrassi, but suddenly, it felt like she'd been transported to a party for a different school. It didn't help that the world around her was spinning.

There was a few games of chicken going on in the pool. Bikini clad girls giggling and throwing their hands around at other bikini clad girls while sitting on muscular dudes' shoulders. It felt like a bad teen movie, almost.

"We should do that." Lola said, her face contorting into a grin.

"You're gonna have to get me way drunker before I participate in...whatever that is." Yael responded, gesturing to the teenagers splashing around.

Lola reached onto a table that was covered in half-empty alcohol bottles. "Take your pick." She said, grabbing a Tequila bottle for herself and downing most of the remaining clear liquid in one shot, immediately feeling a wave of drunkenness take over her body. It was like being drowsy and excitable at the same time. Sluggish, but all she wanted to do was move and dance.

"What's this shot for?" Yael asked inquisitively, holding a bottle of bourbon to their mouth, ready to down the contents. It was so funny that even when Yael was getting drunk, they still had time to make it seem like everything had a purpose. If that made sense.

Lola smiled, realizing in her head how much Yael had changed since the two met. Before, Yael was honestly sort of uptight and judgy. Still a great person, but... hypercritical. Pre-Lola Yael probably wouldn't have even shown up to this party. And if they had, they'd have been standing in the corner judging everyone who was enjoying themselves. And now, they were having the time of their lives. Lola liked that she could have a positive effect on those around her.

"This shot is for... Screw the Hollingsworth boys! Who needs 'em anyway!" Lola exclaimed a little too loud considering the fact that she was currently at the Hollingsworth mansion. She then proceeded to pick up yet another almost-discarded bottle, this time of coconut rum, and took a large gulp along with Yael.

They were officially intoxicated. Both Lola and Yael. It was obvious from the way they swayed back and forth as they headed toward the pool, and especially clear when they jumped into the water completely clothed. People were looking, that was for sure, but the fun that they were having far outweighed the fear of being watched.

After about a minute of splashing around like they were in a cliche teen movie, Lola and Yael were approached by none other than Frankie Hollingsworth, who had no doubt been informed about their shenanigans.

"I've been told there were two super drunk people in the pool splashing around like idiots." Frankie said. "And I think I've found them."


	6. Chapter 6

It was apparent that allowing two drunk teens to splash around in a swimming pool unattended was a huge drowning hazard, and not a risk Frankie was willing to take. At least, that's what Lola was being told by Frankie, who was ranting and raving and criticizing Lola for getting wasted. Like Frankie had never gotten drunk before. She tended to like to play the 'holier than thou' part.

"But we're having fun." Lola whined, wrapping her arm around Yael's waist and pulling them close. "This is my best friend. I just wanna have fun with my best friend." Frankie looked offended that Lola had called Yael her best friend, but didn't say anything to confirm the impression.

"You know what, Frankie? You need to _chill_." Lola finally exclaimed. "Yael and I are just having fun. Spontaneous, exciting, spontaneous..." She trailed off, noticing that she was repeating words. "We're just having fun." She stated simply, saving herself the effort of trying to put together a complex sentence. She wasn't about to pass out or anything, but she definitely was less than coherent at this point.

Lola looked over to Yael, but their glance was elsewhere. They had locked eyes on Hunter, who was flirting with some girl with a short red bob and bangs. A little too reminiscent of the old Yael, even if their skin tones and facial features were completely different. Even though it'd been over a year since the two broke up, it seemed Yael just quite couldn't shake the feelings they had. Lola felt Yael wrap their arms around her waist and pull Lola closer. At first, Lola was perplexed, but then she was straight up shocked when Yael's wet lips met her's. They'd kissed before, when Yael was trying to figure out their gender and sexuality, but Lola had been told by Yael that it was a one-time thing and she wouldn't have to worry about any impromptu smooches from now on. However, Yael seemingly decided to break that promise in an attempt to draw Hunter's attention away from the hot girl he'd been working his moves on.

It took a few seconds of wide-eyed shock before Lola realized that pulling away from the kiss was probably the right move in the long run. Yael wasn't going to feel great in the morning if they found pics and videos of the two kissing all over FaceRange.

"Okay, guys. I think it's time for you to leave the party." Frankie said, using a damage-control tone of voice Lola had only heard from adults in the past.

Frankie motioned Baaz, Hunter and Vijay to come over to the edge of the pool and help get Yael and Lola out of the pool. Vijay extended a hand graciously, but Baaz and Hunter... not so much. Hunter reluctantly reached his hand out to help Yael get out of the water, but Yael reached and slapped his hand away.

"No! You don't get to pull me out of the pool." Yael exclaimed, and all eyes turned to them. "I want... _Vijay_." They slurred, reaching their hands out for Vijay to grab them. "Vijay never broke my heart, after all."

Lola watched as Hunter backed away, clearly hurt by Yael's rejection. But that wasn't really important right now. What was important was getting Lola and Yael, who were clearly too drunk for their own good, out of the pool and away from the party. Baaz pulled Lola out of the pool with ease. Lola was surprised by how strong his arms were. She'd never perceived Baaz as anyone who would have any sort of muscle definition at all. It was clear from the expression on Baaz's face, however, that he had no interest in being associated with this situation past pulling Lola out of the pool. In fact, as soon as Lola was back on her feet, standing on the concrete that surrounded the Hollingsworth's pool, Baaz walked away and pulled Hunter away with him, disappearing into the crowd of teens once again.

Vijay shrugged as he held up Yael, who was visibly more drunk than Lola was. "I don't know what Hunter and Baaz's deals are." He said. "Always moody and broody about something. What else is new?"

Frankie and Vijay carried Lola and Yael into the house, and somewhere between the pool and the house, Lola passed out.

Lola woke up groggily with wet hair soaking her pillow. The dampness of her hair indicated that she couldn't have been out for long, after all, she was still pretty fresh from the pool. Lola struggled to open her eyes, with a wave of drowsiness falling over her. The mix of alcohols must've been a bad decision. She finally opened her eyes and noticed a familiar surrounding. Her eyes had to be playing tricks on her, though, because if she was where she thought she was... She was in Miles's bed.

The silver haired girl began to sit up but froze when she heard familiar voices bickering from the hallway outside of the bedroom.

"I told you to spend time with her." Miles said. "You were supposed to keep an eye on her!"

Who was he talking to? Who had he _assigned_ to watch her? Yael? In fact, where _was_ Yael? Were they okay?

Lola wasn't about to get up. First of all, she wasn't sure if she was physically able. But second of all, she needed to hear what Miles was talking about. Any insight into what was on his mind was insight she appreciated.

"I'm not a babysitter. I graduated from high school today. This is my party. I was supposed to spend it having fun." Frankie said. It was Frankie. "It's not my fault you broke her heart for the _third_ time and she turned to booze."

Miles started talking, his voice getting closer, clearly meaning he was heading toward the bedroom. Lola covered her head with the blanket, feigning sleep in order to get the most information possible. This conversation seemed important. She finally got the chance to be a fly on the wall and figure out what was going through Miles's head without the filter he was going to put on in order to save Lola's feelings.

"I didn't mean to break her heart." Miles responded to Frankie, his voice breaking slightly.

"But you did." Frankie said right away. "You hurt my best friend and then you just tried to back away. Even tonight, you just hid in your room while the party was going on so you wouldn't have to face Lola." That was why Lola hadn't seen Miles. He was _hiding_ from her.

Lola felt herself sobering up. She didn't know it was possible that the drunkenness could just dissolve like that when crap got real.

She felt a sudden weight land on her feet and restrained herself from jumping out of her skin. Someone had sat on her feet. And based on the fact that the butt wasn't tiny and bony, she concluded that it was Miles. Just the touch of him, even if it was something as minor as him sitting on her feet... It drove Lola crazy. She just wanted to be next to him, as much as she was trying to deny it, and with everything that she was trying to throw away in order to save her own feelings... She just couldn't deny it.

"I don't know what to do. If I'd just came back by myself, maybe I would've had a chance." Miles said. "But I stupidly brought Vivian back and showed Lola that she was a second choice." He paused. "Again."

Frankie didn't speak for almost a minute. It was radio silence.

"Where is she anyway?" Frankie asked, and Miles let out a deep exhale.

"We'd been fighting for months. And I thought that bringing her home to meet Mom and Dad would fix everything." Miles started. "But it didn't. It just proved to her that I wasn't the type of guy she wanted. I wasn't the rich guy she wanted. She's a socialite. And me taking her to my little sister's community school graduation didn't exactly scream luxury. She clearly wanted me to show her how rich I was... Show daddy's yacht, or whatever. She bailed. And the worst part is, I didn't even care that she left. Because the moment I saw Lola again, I realized that I got with Vivian to fill a hole in my life. I didn't love her. Hell, I don't even know if I even liked her."

Lola felt Frankie sit next to Miles on the bed. Were they just completely disregarding the fact that Lola was in the bed? Had they completely forgotten that Lola was even there?

"Do you love Lola?" Frankie asked, and Miles hesitated.

The anxiety of waiting for Miles's answer rose from the bottom of Lola's stomach where the butterflies resided to the back of Lola's throat. Whether it was anxiety or alcohol, Lola couldn't hold it back. She rose out of bed as quickly as she could and darted to the waste basket she remembered being in the corner of Miles's room. However, when she went to throw up into the basket, it was too late to notice that the basket wasn't there, and Lola threw up all over Miles's floor.

"Lola?" Miles said, startled, dashing over to her and placing his hand on her back. "Lola, are you okay?"

Her eyes shut tightly, knowing that she'd probably been found out. There was no way Miles didn't assume she'd just eavesdropped on their entire conversation. She went to talk, but another wave of nausea overtook her and resulted on an addition to the vomit pile which was now on the hardwood floor of Miles Hollingsworth's room.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why did you get drunk?" Miles asked, his tone about as serious as it could get. This was a voice Lola had never quite heard out of Miles Hollingsworth. He'd surely never addressed her this sternly.

All she could do was shrug and look at her toes, though. What was she to tell him? That her confusion and pain about him had lead her to hitting the bottle? That wouldn't make his life any easier. And there was no way she was going to use the information she'd just overheard as reasoning. She'd forever have to act like she was absolutely asleep during that conversation. It wasn't fair any other way. He'd told that information to Frankie and Frankie only. To reveal she was eavesdropping was to betray his trust and invade his privacy. Though, she'd already actually done those things... But revealing it was a whole different story.

"Just tell me." Miles said. He sounded tired. The hour and a half of nursing a puking Lola back to health undoubtedly had a part in his sleepy tone. Lola shut her eyes tight. There was no way to get out of this unless some magical fairy entered the room and saved her. And Lola had stopped believing in fairies like... three years ago.

"I just wanted to get drunk. I've never been that drunk. And...why not tonight? I graduated high school. I have a right to celebrate." Lola finally said. That was excuse enough, right?

Miles sat on his bed, pulling Lola so she was sitting right next to him. "Yeah, you _really_ sounded like you were having fun when you were blacked out, soaking wet from the pool, and crying on the floor asking me why I didn't love you." He paused. It almost sounded like he was choking up. This was weird.

"I really did that?" Lola questioned. That was incredibly embarrassing, and she'd decided that there wasn't a chance in the world that she was ever going to drink that much again. Apparently it was true about sober thoughts coming out when you were drunk. She thought some part of her brain would've saved her dignity. But she also didn't realize blacking out was a real thing. It was scary to think that for a while, her body was alive but her brain wasn't even there.

Miles nodded, and Lola noticed that tears were now streaming down his cheeks uncontrollably. One after another, chasing one another to see which one could reach his chin and drop onto his chest the fastest. She'd never seen tears fall so effortlessly. "I felt like crap." He said. "I just stood there. Rubbing your back as you puked, then cried, then puked, then... I didn't know what to do. I had to make up some fake emergency to get Frankie out of the room as soon as you started saying that stuff because it just felt wrong for anyone else to hear it. To know how I treated you like crap." He finally looked up, looking Lola in the eyes. His eyes had gone from the deep hazel they always were to a shining green, illuminated by the tears welling up and the redness covering the whites. "I just stood there. Telling myself that it wasn't true, that I couldn't have hurt you this badly. I didn't know you cared this much."

"I did." Lola said, before correcting herself. "I do."

She felt so guilty for showing her cards like that. She'd hoped that if she were to reveal how deeply she truly cared and how much he'd hurt her that she'd at least have time to prepare and tell him the way she wanted. But alcohol had taken that decision away from her. Damn champagne and tequila.

Miles broke the eye contact the two were making and looked down at his shirt, which was now drenched in fallen tears. Lola noticed that he'd changed his shirt since she saw him earlier in the day. "Did I...puke on you?" Lola asked, breaking out into a slight smile. All of this was so embarrassing and awkward. She couldn't help but smile just a little.

"Yeah." Miles's face contorted into a smirk. "You kind of collapsed into my chest as soon as they brought you in from the pool. I decided to change after the mix of pool water, puke, and tears. And it was unfortunate, because that was kind of one of my favorite shirts." He raised his brows playfully, finally breaking the tension between the two. "You really ought to apologize." He said.

Lola let out a laugh before picking up one of the pillows from Miles's bed and hitting him with it. "I've had a long night. I don't have the energy to apologize right now." She said, and Miles conceded, raising his hands to indicate defeat. Lola looked at him for a moment before coming back to reality and realizing that she hadn't checked in with her dad like she'd promised she would. Her hands patted Miles's bed with urgency with no avail. "Phone?" She asked reluctantly. She didn't want Miles to think she wasn't entertained by him, but she really needed to get her phone before her dad showed up at the Hollingsworth house and killed her after seeing that the pool area was no doubt covered in evidence that pointed to alcohol.

"Your phone is on life support right now. A big bowl of rice. Apparently drunk Lola wasn't concerned about getting her phone wet. You jumped right in with your phone in your pocket, and from Frankie's account, tried to take some underwater selfies with Yael. You were apparently calling them _pool-fies._ I'm not sure why I'm the one in writing school when you came up with that gem."

"Blasphemy!" Lola exclaimed. "I would _never_ risk my phone like that. I don't even take _shower selfies_ because I'm afraid I'm going to get water in the wrong port and kill my phone. Drunk Lola is _so_ not like sober Lola. And I kind of hate her." She said, scooting her body a few inches closer to Miles. Taking a risk. Taking a chance. Hoping he wouldn't reject her.

And he didn't. He played right into it, bringing his arm around her shoulder and pulling her in close. "I'll definitively say I prefer sober Lola." He said, poking a finger at Lola's ribs, making her jump. "You're not nearly as much fun when you're puking your guts out."

All Lola wanted to do in this moment was lean over and kiss Miles. But there wasn't a chance in hell that she'd be smooching _anyone_ with puke breath. Not to mention, they still had plenty to talk about before anything was happening. Sure, she knew that Vivian was out of the picture and Miles wanted her, but that didn't solve the tons of other problems they'd still have to deal with over time. It wasn't going to be all solved in a night, but some of it should be solved before Lola swapped spit with Miles again. Or hopped into bed with him, which seemed to be their _thing_.

Lola heard footsteps in the hallway and shrugged Miles's arm off of her shoulder. It could be anyone. Frankie, Mrs. Hollingsworth, maybe even her father. She didn't really want anyone to be let in on this moment, so it was safer to just keep this to themselves until they figured it out.

"You're awake!" Frankie exclaimed a little too loudly. "Everyone is finally out, by the way." She reported, her eyes falling on Miles. "Took forever, and I probably spent five hundred dollars on cabs alone... But... That's the cost of a kickass party, right?"

Miles and Lola looked at one another, both with furrowed brows. If that was what Frankie thought equated to kickass party... Then sure.

Frankie sat in between the two, breaking the magic that Miles and Lola had conjured and bringing them back to reality. "Your dad was blowing up my phone, by the way. I told him you fell asleep and sent him a picture of you all cuddled up with a teddy bear. Hope that's okay." Frankie said. At least Frankie had the whole dad situation under control, even if it was a little weird to take a photo of your passed out drunk friend. "He bought it, so you're welcome." Frankie teased.

"Yeah, uh, thanks." Lola said, looking past Frankie and looking at Miles. For some reason, the presence of someone who wasn't supposed to realize the chemistry between Miles and Lola made the sparks into fireworks. Her desire to lean in and kiss Miles turned into a burning need. But she couldn't right now. And that was slightly killing Lola. "What time is it?" She asked, realizing she had no idea what the time was at all. It could be midnight or noon. She had zero concept of the time. Passing out drunk could do that to a girl.

Frankie pulled her phone out of her pocket. "3:19 A.M." She said, and it was as if realizing the time was a tranquilizer, because suddenly Frankie, Lola, and Miles were all simultaneously yawning. Frankie eyed her best friend and her brother and it was as if she read Lola's mind. "I'll go make sure the house is locked up and leave you two to your goodnights." She gave Lola a knowing look that was somewhere between 'get it girl' and 'you owe me one'.

There was silence for a moment after Frankie left. But as soon as her footsteps faded away, confirming that she'd left the immediate area, Miles pulled Lola in tight. "I know you wouldn't want me to kiss you with your puke breath, so I won't. But... I do love you. I hope you know that. So, no reason to get drunk again."

Lola blushed. Miles knew her a little bit too well, which was evident from the puke comment. The other thing left her speechless. He loved her. Like, truly loved her, and felt comfortable telling her. She had to push the thoughts that told her maybe he was just influenced by loneliness, or seeing her cry like that, to the back of her mind. She'd probably always have doubt, but they didn't matter right now. All she wanted to do was enjoy the night.

"Can I sleep in here?" Lola asked. "I always liked this bed."

Miles nodded, pulling his shirt off and handing it to her, something he'd done both times they spent the night together before. "I always liked this bed too. Even better when you're in it, though."


	8. Chapter 8

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Lola blinked rapidly, struggling to get her eyes open. It felt like they were glued together, which was the most disgusting feeling she'd ever felt, topped only by the nausea she was experiencing as she opened her eyes, exposing them to the bright sun that was shining through the window. She had never slept so deeply, and the bed below her felt like a cloud. Apparently, the mix of way too much alcohol and Miles Hollingsworth's arms made for a good night's sleep.

"Good morning, sunshine." Miles greeted Lola, looking up from his phone. "You were out like a light." He reached his arm around Lola's body and gave her a kiss on the top of her head.

Lola furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes, taking a second to process what exactly was happening. She had a fuzzy memory of the night before. She drank, she blacked out, she woke up... and Miles was there. They... _rekindled_? That part she wasn't quite sure about yet. And then they cuddled and fell asleep. There was still a lot to process, and this was just the beginning of the Lola and Miles Chronicles: Part Three. But...progress was made. She never would've thought yesterday that she'd wake up in Miles's bed today. In fact, at this time yesterday, Miles wasn't even on her mind. She didn't even know he was in town yet. And now she was in his arms. It was crazy how just twenty four hours could change everything.

Miles snaked his arm from around Lola's body and reached onto the floor and grabbed a crumpled up t-shirt. Lola looked down and remembered the one he had been wearing previously was now on her back. "Do you want me to go pick up some breakfast? Your head is probably pounding. You gotta eat." Ever so thoughtful. Miles slipped the shirt on his body, and Lola was a little disappointed, because admittedly, she really liked the sight of Miles shirtless.

Before Lola could open her mouth to respond, Frankie took her by surprise, dashing into the room and pouncing on the bed, crushing Miles and Lola in the process. "Did I hear someone say _breakfast_?" Frankie said, pulling a bag of greasy fast food from behind her back. "Because the breakfast fairy has arrived, and she got a _ton_ of hangover food with your name on it, Lo." She paused, looking over to her brother with a playful grin. "And I guess you can have some too, Miles. If you ask nicely enough."

Lola couldn't lie. She was disappointed at the sight of her best friend. Which was awful. She knew Frankie first. She should be way more excited to see her best friend than her...whatever Miles was now. She'd known Frankie for like, five years. Which was _forever_ for a pair of eighteen year olds. Of course, knowing Frankie meant she knew Miles for all of that time, but up until that fateful day where they collided in the hallway, Miles was nothing but Frankie's cute older brother to her. A little bit of eye candy on the occasional girl's night. And now... he was so much more.

The guy who took her virginity. The guy who impregnated her. The first guy she was ever in love with. The first guy who truly broke her heart... It was a lot. He was a lot.

They had a lot of history. And because of all of that history, Lola found herself craving time with Miles instead of Frankie. Which was unfortunate, because the last thing she wanted to be was _that girl_ who dumped her bestie the day she found a new man. Especially considering the 'man' she'd be dumping Frankie for was her own brother. Not cool at all. "Thanks, boo!" Lola stated, feigning excitement. She couldn't let Frankie feel like she was being pushed out. She'd have to work overtime to make sure she wasn't going to hurt Frankie's feelings.

Miles looked over to Lola, who met his eyes with confusion. Lola knew exactly what was on his mind. He wanted to know if they should ask Frankie to leave. Lola wanted to nod, saying that they deserved a morning alone after the night they'd had. But instead she shook her head, indicating Frankie's presence was fine.

He let out an exhale, seeming frustrated, which killed Lola. She had never wished more for the ability to read minds. Miles took a wrapped up sausage biscuit from the grease-covered fast food bag and pulled himself out of the bed with a labored groan. "I'm gonna take a shower, I think I still have Lola puke somewhere in my creases and crevices. Consequences of being caretaker."

Lola cringed at that statement. "Stop bringing it up!" She said, slapping his arm. They were absolutely flirting, and from the look on Frankie's face, she was slightly uncomfortable with it. "Never again." Lola said, eyeing Frankie as Miles left the room. It was time for some girl talk. Lola could feel it in her bones. The way Frankie was looking at Lola told Lola that something was coming. But what was it?

"If you're gonna date my brother..." Frankie started, reaching into the bag and grabbing a biscuit and handing it to Lola. "We need to set some ground rules. First, you're gonna be honest with me about everything. I demand to know it all." She said. "No making out in front of me, no cutting in on my time with you, if I walk in on you guys having sex... I'm gonna kill both of you. Seriously."

"Woah," Lola said. "Slow down. I don't even know what the deal is with Miles. We aren't dating." That was true. She had no idea where they stood. And it was highly unlikely that one night of drunkenly professing love and sleeping in the same bed meant they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Miles was super damaged, and so was she. The last thing either of them needed right now was to hop into another relationship. Especially without about two thousand hours of conversation first.

Frankie didn't seem to believe it, though. "I saw you guys while you were sleeping. You looked peaceful and happy."

"I was sleeping!" Lola responded. "That's all." She added, her voice quieting down, suddenly feeling shyer than ever before.

"You still looked happy." Frankie said. "You totally love him, Lola. And I'm fine with that. I've come to terms with the fact that your star-crossed romance is _totally meant to be_." She spoke dreamily. "And I don't mind it. I think it's... kinda cute, actually. The way you try to deny it. You and Miles both do it. Just admit you're in love with my brother."

Lola hid her face in Miles's blanket, trying to cover the fact that her face was burning with blush. Yeah, sure, she loved him... But telling his sister, Frankie, who was nothing if not persistent and a bit of a loudmouth, that she was in love? Lola wasn't sure if she was ready for that step. Not yet, at least. Not until she figured out if this was even something she could pursue. "Maybe." Lola said sweetly, uncovering her face and taking a bite of her breakfast. "No more talking about it, though. Let's go see if my phone is still alive. I need to see how much Hastygram damage control I have to do."


	9. Chapter 9

It had been three days since Lola had left the Hollingsworth house with a messy bun atop her head, Miles's shirt on her back, and a half-broken phone. Having Miles's shirt in her possession was nice of course, and she couldn't deny that she'd probably sniffed the scent out of it, but the whole phone thing was less than desirable for Lola. The screen was glitchy, the audio was garbled, and Lola was dying inside. She lived her life on her phone. Not being able to stare at her screen and see what's happening online was breaking her into a million pieces. But... maybe even worse than that, she hadn't heard from Miles. Not even a word. Radio. Freaking. Silence.

She told herself it didn't mean anything. Miles was busy. Or maybe he was overwhelmed. Or grounded, even. She hadn't heard from Frankie or Hunter either, so maybe the entire Hollingsworth house had gone electronic-free after Mr. and Mrs. Hollingsworth heard about how wild things had gotten. It was unlikely, considering Frankie and Hunter were 18 and Miles was moved out of the house. They weren't exactly prime grounding material. But Lola was searching, reaching for some sort of reason. Any reason to make it so that the reality wasn't Miles avoiding her.

Lola didn't realize how bad things had gotten for her emotional state until her father had walked in on her crying in the shower, though. He walked in to grab something and heard Lola's muffled sobs through the shower curtain.

"Lollipop? Are you okay?" He called out, taking Lola by surprise and causing her to pop her head from behind the curtain and look out to make sure she wasn't getting murdered. His face fell as soon as their eyes met. He saw Lola's puffy red eyes and he knew. Lola's father was a total softy and completely lost his mind whenever he saw the people he loved hurt. When Lola was little, she knew him as a strong, sort of stoic figure. But as her mother faded from their lives and eventually left, Lola's father got softer and softer. More and more vulnerable and scared. The last thing Lola wanted was to reopen his emotional wounds by revealing that she was in pain.

"I'm fine." She called out, sniffing and wiping her tears away, letting the cool water flow on her face to attempt to clear up the obvious cry-face. But he knew. And Lola couldn't really lie to him. "Just... don't worry. Shampoo in my eyes." Lola lied through her teeth. And he could tell.

He stood there, not leaving, just looking at Lola's sad face. "When you're done, get dressed and I'll fix you some hot cocoa. We can talk." Lola's father said, and it was as if the water temperature in the shower had warmed up a few degrees. But it was just the warmth radiating from Lola's chest. She was so lucky to have her father who loved her. Who needed Miles Hollingsworth? She had her father. And her friends. And a future. A future that didn't have to include Miles. She wasn't going to be that girl again and again and again. At some point, character development had to kick in.

"Okay." Lola said. Her voice was weak and a little weepy. "Love you, dad." She said, her voice wavering. The door shut behind her father, leaving Lola all alone once again. She turned the water as hot as it would go, something she only did when she really needed some comfort, and lost herself in the steamy water for a few minutes more.

After her shower, Lola wrapped herself in her fluffiest towel and dried her body and hair. She then switched to the fluffiest robe possible, a purple one with little aqua bunnies on it. It was something she'd gotten years ago, but her affinity for it hadn't changed one bit. Some things never changed, and Lola's love for all things fluffy and cute definitely fit that.

Once she was robed and comfy, she made her way to the living room where her father awaited with two steamy cups of hot cocoa. He didn't skimp or make the powdered stuff. No, he took the time that Lola was in the shower to make his famous gourmet cocoa. Lola had no idea what was in the stuff, but it was like crack to her. Year round, she could never get enough. Which was why her father had made it for her. He always made it for her when she was stressed or in pain or anything of that sort.

"So, what's his name?" Her father begun speaking in his heavily accented voice. "The boy who broke your heart, I mean."

Lola sighed. He knew. Of course he knew. Her father was the guy who knew her best. The guy who never let her down. Even through everything.

"His name is Miles. And... I think I messed it all up." Lola admitted.

She went on to tell her father everything. Omitting the fact that Miles was Frankie's brother, and the whole getting blackout drunk sitch... But other than that, she left no details out. She even accidentally gabbed about the fact that they'd had sex a few times, which... didn't exactly make her father happy, but he didn't lose his mind. He must've gotten the vibe that this wasn't the time for a premarital sex lecture, which... Thank God, because Lola was so not in the mood to _ever_ hear anything like that, especially from her ultra-traditional father.

"It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong, Lollipop." He said, and Lola cringed at the childish nickname. "And if he doesn't fall in love with you for exactly who you are... Then he doesn't deserve you. You are so bright and sweet and smart, Lola. You always have the best intentions, and you always put everyone else first. I love you. And whoever this Miles kid is... He'd be crazy not to. And if he hurts you..." Her father trailed off before putting down his hot cocoa and raising a fist playfully. "I'll show 'em who's boss." He winked, and Lola let out a giggle.

Lola opened her mouth to speak, but her voice was interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing. Well, the demented, skewed sound of her ringtone through the waterlogged speakers. A call was coming through. Miles. It was as if fate was telling her that everything was going to be okay. She held the phone up, showing the screen to her father, who smiled back in support before waving his hand to tell Lola to take the call.

Holding her phone to her ear, Lola made an attempt to answer the call. However, her messed up phone wasn't allowing the signals to come through properly, so all she could hear was a screwy version of Miles's voice telling her he wanted to see her. Or... sneeze her? The signal was really crappy. She hung up the call and sent a text to Miles asking him when and where he wanted to meet.

She took one last sip of her hot cocoa and thanked her father profusely. "You're the best." She said. "I love you so much, Dad."


	10. Chapter 10

When Miles said he wanted to meet at the Cantina, Lola was more than a little bit worried. A familiar environment... One where she would be surrounded by family friends and employees that she had known for years... He had strategically chosen somewhere where she couldn't make a scene. Whatever he wanted to talk about couldn't be good if he was trying to make sure she couldn't yell or scream.

Lola pulled her hair up into a tight bun. She'd cut her hair into a pixie cut during her freshman year of high school, and it had taken forever to finally get long enough to fit in a bun without a bunch of bobby pins holding it together like patchwork. But now that it had grown to her shoulders, she continued to have the urge to cut it shorter and shorter. Again and again. Sometimes it felt like the only control Lola had was over stupid things like her hair and her clothes.

She put on an outfit that was cute, but not _date_ cute, since she had completely convinced herself that wasn't what was going down here. She wanted to look pretty enough to make Miles second-guess the heartbreak journey he was about to force Lola to embark on. The road to the Cantina was basically muscle memory at this point. She'd been going there daily since it opened a few years earlier - right after her mother left. She just kept running it through her head, trying to predict what Miles was going to say. Trying to make it easier on herself. Because at least if she knew what she was expecting... it wouldn't be as hard. She wished that everything in life was as easy and predictable as the road to the Cantina.

"Lola." Miles said as she approached him. "I'm so glad you came."

The fact that he was so nice, so cute... The fact that he always had good intentions... it all made it worse. Because he wasn't arriving to be an asshole and break her heart. He wasn't showing up because he had malice in his heart or anything like that. The way his eyes lit up, his forehead wrinkled, his eyebrows raised... His intentions were good.

Lola took her authority as owner's daughter and sat herself and Miles at a secluded booth in the Cantina. She pointed at a seat for Miles and then disappeared into the kitchen and grabbed some food. A bowl of salsa and a basket of chips, along with a plate of chicken enchiladas. Miles's favorite. She placed the chips and salsa in the middle of the table for the two to share, and set the enchiladas in front of Miles as a peace offering or something.

"Why did you want to see me?" Lola questioned. "I mean... You just disappeared. For three days. That's like, a lifetime." She found herself feeling a little self conscious at how dramatic those words sounded coming out of her mouth. The old Lola wouldn't have been so introspective, but she had grown. At least, she thought she had observed some growth. "I mean, a lifetime after...what happened."

"I'm sorry for the radio silence." Miles said. "Something happened, and I couldn't... I couldn't talk to you. I couldn't talk to anybody."

Lola tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean..." She trailed off as Miles opened his mouth to speak once again. She needed whatever explanation was coming, because confusion was rushing over her.

"It has been a real shit storm these past few days. When my dad noticed this fancy bottle of champagne from his office was missing... He flew off the handle." Miles started, and Lola's eyes darted to her shoes. The bottle of champagne. The one she'd shared with Yael the night of the party. But she'd never confess to that. She couldn't. Miles opened his mouth to continue. "He blamed me. Beat the crap out of me. We thought he'd changed, but... We were wrong. My mom tried to deescalate things, but... then he hit her. It was an accident, but Frankie called the police. And after the police came, they took him away. He's in jail now. Domestic assault or something like that."

Not even taking boundaries into consideration, Lola reached across the table and placed her hand on Miles's cheek. He looked so sad. "I'm sorry." She said, stroking his skin.

"That's not what I came here to talk to you about, though." Miles said, and Lola wondered what else could be so big. She stared at his face, just now realizing that there was a split in his lip and a bruise in his jaw that hadn't quite been covered with makeup in the right way. Frankie's handiwork, Lola assumed. She tried, but she was no maestro with the makeup brushes, hard as she may try. "I mean... That's not the only thing. That's just the reason I wasn't around. One of them, anyway. The other thing... Well, it's even harder to talk about than my stupid daddy issues."

Lola's hand left Miles's cheek. She could tell something big was coming. "Tristan is back in town." He said. "I'm not seeing him, I'm not interested. I'm over him. But he's been calling me. A lot. Telling me there's something important he wants to talk about. Begging me. He even showed up at my house yesterday. I told Hunter to tell him I wasn't home, but we're going to cross paths if I'm staying in Toronto for the summer."

"If...?" Lola questioned. All of a sudden, because of his ex, he was just going to leave Toronto behind? Go back to London? Lola knew that he'd be going back to London at the end of the summer, but if he was leaving now... That'd crush her.

Miles pulled a chip out of the basket that sat in front of him and broke it to pieces slowly in his hand. He hadn't even touched the food Lola had brought. Then again, neither had Lola. Apparently extremely serious conversations didn't stimulate the appetite. "Do you want me to stay?" He asked.

Before Lola had a chance to think, he mouth had already opened and her mind had prompted her to say "Yes."

"Then I'll stay." Miles said.


	11. Chapter 11

"So…" Lola began, her voice coming out much more unsure than it sounded in her head. "Tristan is back in town. Your ex."

Miles nodded with regret dripping from his expression, slowly, like molasses. "But that doesn't mean anything for us." He reached his hand across the table to lay it on top of Lola's, but Lola pulled away instinctively.

This was the first time Lola finally felt like she wasn't a second choice. Not just with Miles, but with anyone. She'd always felt like someone else was on a higher pedestal, demanding more love or attention. There was always someone more important. Someone with more chemistry, or more history… There was always someone else. And finally she felt like that wasn't true. She finally had Miles to herself. And then… Tristan Milligan. The guy Miles had a whirlwind relationship with for like, forever, was back in the picture, ready to sink his perfectly clipped and buffed claws into Miles Hollingsworth.

"I'm not doing this." She said, retreating into the wooden seat she was sitting in. "This isn't what I want."

"What?" Miles replied, cocking his head to the side. "But… the other night. You were crying your eyes out about how much you wanted me. How did that change so fast?"

"It's not that I don't want you." She said. "Of course I want you. You're you." Lola's eyes darted to the still-full plate that sat in front of Miles. The food had no-doubt gotten cold by now. Which was kind of how she felt right now. Dumbest metaphor ever. Or was that a simile? Those two always got mixed in Lola's head. She was never that good at English.

Miles reached for Lola's hand again, and this time she allowed his fingers to rest on the backs of her hands. She refused to reciprocate, but… she couldn't exactly stop his warm, soft fingers from resting on her skin.

"I want you, Miles. I have for like, forever now. But I'm not gonna fight over you. Especially not with Tristan. Do you forget how that ended last time?" She asked, before pulling her hand from Miles's grip once again and placing her fingers right under her eye's waterline. "I had to invest in waterproof mascara, which is like, totally less good for your eyes. But raccoon eyes were becoming a regular look for me and…" She stopped herself, and looked at Miles, who was clearly lost. "I'm trying to say I cried a lot. You gotta learn how to speak Lola language, boo."

"I'm sorry I made you cry before." Miles said, grabbing her hand for a third time. Damn, he really wanted to hold Lola's hand. "But this time it's different. I'm telling you… I'm over Tristan. My feelings for him are long gone. Thrown away. I could not be more over Tristan Milligan if I tried. I'm all in on you. You're the person who is gonna make me happy, Lola Pacini. And I want you to trust me on that."

Lola furrowed her brows. She wanted to believe him too. But she just didn't know how.

"How do I prove it to you, Lola?" Miles asked, his tone had the slightest tinge of desperation. Nobody had pleaded for Lola like this before. Not even Tiny. And she had to admit, it felt damn good.

"I dunno…" Lola said, letting a slight smile creep across her face. "But I guess this is a good start." She said, standing up and leaning across the table, placing a kiss on Miles's lips. Their first public kiss. The first time they showed affection for one another where they weren't hidden away in a bedroom or behind a stairwell. And she had to admit, it definitely made her feel more confident that Miles was serious. The way he was leaning into the kiss told no lies. This meant something.

Lola pulled away from Miles's lips and noticed that a few people in the restaurant were watching. "Get it Lola!" One of the waitresses called out, causing Lola to giggle. If they stayed at the Cantina, they were bound to get a few workers coming up demanding info. After all, a few people had gotten curious when Miles worked at the Cantina for a few weeks. They recognized him, and were probably having a field day over the fact that Miles and Lola were finally sealing the deal with a kiss.

"Lola Pacini, will you allow me to take you on a real, public, official date? No secrets, no sneaking around, no second choices?" Miles said, pulling Lola onto his lap.

She blushed. Both about the words he was saying, which were beyond perfect, and the fact that he was letting her sit on his lap in such a public space. Anyone could see them. Anyone.

"Yes." Lola replied, pressing her hand to her warm cheek and then covering her eyes due to the combination of embarrassment and excitement that were taking over her nerves. "Yes. Yes. Yes." She repeated. "Did I say yes?"

"You did. Miles said, placing a kiss on Lola's collarbone. "But I don't mind the extra confirmation."

The entire restaurant was basically staring at Lola and Miles by now, but their gazes were matched with only one another. This was finally happening. Finally, Lola was getting the chance she'd only dreamed about for the past year and a half, since their first kiss…. And the subsequent virginity loss situation. She couldn't be happier. Lola Pacini was on a cloud. And she wasn't going to come down.

"Come to my place? You can dish all of this to Frankie, which I know you're dying to… And I'll go pick up something pretty for you to wear for our date."

The word date echoed in her head over and over and over. Date. Date. Date. Miles Hollingsworth was taking her on a date.

"Sounds great." Lola said in response, lost in a bit of a daydream over what this date could possibly be. "Let's go." She said, climbing off of Miles's lap and extending her hand for Miles to take it. He did, and when their fingers interlaced, all felt right in the world. They exited the Cantina hand in hand with matching grins.

However, a problem arose when they reached the front door of the Cantina and ran into a familiar face. Tristan Milligan. Because of course this couldn't just be a perfect moment.

The look on Tristan's face was a look of pure heartbreak. He was crushed when his eyes darted down and he noticed Lola and Miles's hands interlocked. "So…" Tristan raised a perfectly-tweezed brow. "This is why you weren't answering my calls and texts. Lola."

Lola looked down at the ground and let go of Miles's hand, but he stopped her and gripped her hand harder.

"Yeah," Miles started, his voice confident and a little defiant. Kind of sexy, honestly. "I'm with Lola now. And we're really happy. I'm sorry, Tris. I've moved on."

Tristan looked defeated once again, but then he just scoffed. "Sure… Good luck with that." Tristan said to Miles, and then turned to Lola and opened his mouth to speak. "Just be careful. As soon as another pretty thing walks his way… You'll be history. That's the way things go with Miles Hollingsworth III."

Miles's face contorted into an angry stare, and he opened his mouth, ready to tell Tristan off, but Lola just grasped his hand as tightly as she could. "Just let it go. I know who you are. It doesn't matter what anyone else says."

Tristan pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and held back a laugh. "Girl… If he'll cheat with you, he'll cheat on you. I thought you'd grown from the cotton candy ditsy chick, but… I guess you're proving me wrong. Kudos."

Lola exhaled deeply as Tristan walked away, trying to convince herself that his words meant nothing. He was just jealous and mad. After all, five minutes ago he was dying to get with Miles again, and now he was demonizing him. He just wanted to rattle the two of them. She tried to convince herself, but she could only get to about fifty percent convincing by the time Miles looked over to observe her.

"Don't listen to him, please." He said, his voice a little bit shaky, clearly wondering if Tristan had ruined everything. "You were so happy a minute ago. We were both happy. Don't let Tristan get to you. He's just mad that I won't take him back. He's just mad." He repeated, seemingly trying to convince himself at the same time. "I care about you, Lola. I'm serious about you."

She nodded, still a little unsure, but she was trying not to let it show. "Okay. Let's go to your place. I can gush to Franks and you can go buy me something sexy for whatever our date is tonight."

Miles looked hopeful again, probably glad that Lola wasn't freaking out about the Tristan thing. But she was. She was just better at hiding it than most people.


	12. Chapter 12

Lola and Miles arrived at the Hollingsworth mansion once again hand in hand. The awkward situation had defrosted a little bit after one of Lola's favorite songs came on the radio and Miles cranked it up instinctively, showing Lola that he did in fact know her pretty well. She could feel her heart warming up to him once again, and a little spurt of optimism had infected her heart. Sure, she still had her doubts, especially since her insecurities had materialized as a tall, thin, and sassy raven haired ex of Miles's, but… it didn't matter. Miles stood up to Tristan and made his feelings about Lola known. That was more than Lola could say for any other guy she'd ever liked.

Frankie met the two at the front door, nosy as ever, ready to hear all of the dish. Lola guessed that Miles had disclosed that he was going to meet Lola, and Frankie connected the dots and was ready to hear whatever happened. Her eyes immediately looked to their hands. They were holding hands. Which caused Frankie to shriek as loud as humanly possible. "I can't believe it, I can't believe it. You guys are together?" She questioned, her voice way too loud for how close the three were standing.

"We're… giving it a chance." Lola said, letting a tiny smirk pull at the corners of her mouths.

"Giving love a chance." Frankie sighed. "So romantic." She then smacked Miles's shoulder. "Good job bro. If you hurt her I swear to God you'll end up six feet under."

The dynamic between the three felt weird, but good. When Lola first slept with Miles, she was convinced that Frankie would totally unfriend her if she ever found out that they were involved. And at first, Frankie was a bit wary and weird. But after months of hearing Lola gush about how much she felt connected to Miles, she seemed to warm up to the idea. And now, Frankie had suddenly turned into the biggest Miles and Lola supporter. Liles? No… That sounded horrible. Mola? That was more on the right track.

"You two do whatever you're gonna do, I gotta go out for a bit. I'll be back." He said, holding up a black credit card and smirking at Lola.

Frankie looked at Lola as Miles walked out of the house, and as soon as he was out of earshot, she shrieked again. It was blood-curdling, really.

"What is he going to do? Wait, start at the beginning. Tell me everything. Was it romantic? What did he say? What did you say? Did he kiss you?" Frankie shot off questions at a rapid speed, but Lola couldn't comprehend them. She was too busy in a daze over Miles.

"Huh?" Lola replied when she finally realized she had let the room stay silent for a few seconds too long. "Oh, um… You're gonna have to ask those questions one at a time. But first… Come help me do my hair and makeup." Frankie nodded, and the two girls headed to Frankie's bedroom to begin the glamification process.

" _Tristan_ showed up?" Frankie practically yelled, almost burning Lola's cheek with the curling iron in the process.

"Woah, okay. I'm gonna have to take away the hot tools if you're gonna keep freaking out like this. I am not going on my first official date with Miles with a giant curling iron shaped burn on my face. That is so not chic."

Frankie giggled before handing the curling iron to Lola, allowing her to do her own hair as she recounted the story.

"Yes, Tristan showed up. Five seconds after Miles gave this amazing speech. I was sitting on his lap in the middle of the restaurant, in front of everyone, and then we walked out and we were face to face with the ex. It was horrible." Lola released the curling iron from her silvery hair, allowing a perfect ringlet to fall next to her face.

"What did Miles do?" Frankie asked, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth as she sat there, doing nothing else. It would've been great to have an extra hand for this whole glam process, but Lola knew that Frankie was going to be way too engrossed in the drama of it all to really focus on making her look good.

Lola grinned as she recounted the earlier happenings with optimism instead of anxiety. "Told him off. It was…" She refrained from describing Frankie's brother as sexy right in front of her. Too weird. "It was heroic. He's really awesome. And I really think this is gonna work."

"I'm happy for you." Frankie said, picking up a candy red lipstick and offering it to Lola. "What did Tristan say, anyway?"

Lola refused the red lipstick. So not her style. She preferred to look sexy without looking like she was trying so hard. Plus, she'd have to wait to match her dress with whatever Miles was picking up for her to wear. "At first, he was all confused, and then after Miles told him we were together… He got super pissed. Like… Really angry." Lola thought back to the angry words Tristan had said. "He said something like, 'if he cheats with you, he'll cheat on you'. Something like that."

She turned to gauge Frankie's reaction, and it wasn't good. The way Frankie's grin had turned into a frown… Maybe Lola was right to be worried. She'd tried to brush off the statement like it was something stupid a jealous boy was spewing, but the logic… it wasn't wrong.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Lo." Frankie said, though her tone seemed less genuine and more reassuring. Like the tone Lola used to use when she was reassuring Frankie that Jonah wasn't into Grace, which… clearly Lola's secret impression of that situation was right. She didn't want Frankie to make the same mistake - to protect Lola's feelings like Lola had protected Frankie's. "Miles has grown a lot. I mean, he's an adult now. Adults do relationships differently than high school kids do."

Lola bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I guess you're right." She said, not allowing her mind to wander too much. She was going to trust Miles. That was the right thing to do. That was the only way that this whole thing was going to work.


	13. Chapter 13

"Where could we possibly be going that _this_ is appropriate?" Lola asked, holding up a t-shirt with a cartoon avocado on it and a pair of black yoga pants, which was what Miles returned with after bragging about how he was going out to buy her something to wear on their date. She was completely perplexed.

"Ummm… Pajama party?" Frankie suggested, clearly just as confused as Lola was. "I don't know, but I'm sure he came up with something magical. Tristan always used to gush about how thoughtful and creative Miles was when it came to…" Frankie stopped speaking when she realized she'd mentioned Tristan. Sore subject.

Lola stripped her clothing off and replaced it with the avocado shirt. It was cute, for sure, and it was totally something that she would wear, but not on a date. Especially not a first date.

"I just don't get it." Lola said, looking at herself in the mirror. She just looked silly now. She had her hair curled, with her grown out bangs pinned back, a really good makeup job done, and then… avocado pajamas. Whatever this date was, she was dying to figure it out. The mystery was driving her crazy.

Frankie's phone buzzed and when Frankie checked it, she smiled. "Go downstairs. Miles is ready for you."

A deep exhale escaped Lola's lungs. The mystery was about to be unveiled. She just hoped it wasn't something weird. Or disappointing. Although, with how long she'd been waiting on this date with Miles, she wasn't sure if anything would be disappointing. They could just cuddle on the couch all night and she'd probably write ten pages in her diary about how much her heart fluttered and how amazing it all was. It wasn't the date, it was the guy the date was with. And she had decided that whatever awaited her downstairs… She was going to embrace it, because it was Miles.

Lola walked down the stairs with sock feet, figuring that this get-up didn't require the sexy black heels that made her butt look amazing that Frankie had helped her pick out. The ensemble just didn't really match. She approached the kitchen, where she could hear Miles clanging around.

As soon as her eyes met Miles's, a grin broke out on her face. "Did you get the hint?" Miles joked. His face was covered in an avocado mask, just like the one that was coating Lola's face on the night that they first slept together. "Avocado?"

"Could use some salt." She joked, swiping a finger on Miles's cheek and having a taste, calling back to what Miles had said when she was mixing up the masks for failed girl's night all those months ago.

"I'm so glad you remember what this is about, or else I would feel and look incredibly stupid." Miles said, pulling Lola in for a kiss. All of this felt more than right. It felt perfect. Their kiss deepened and for a moment they got lost. The world around them ceased to exist. It was just them. Just Miles, and just Lola.

Once they broke from their kiss, Miles kept Lola pulled close. "So, I didn't get a chance to tell you how beautiful you look." He said. "You always do." He brushed his lips against her chin, then her jaw, then her neck. "I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Take off that makeup. You and I are having a night in."

Miles handed Lola a makeup wipe and Lola self consciously accepted it. Sure, Miles had seen her without makeup more than once. She barely wore makeup when she was just around the Hollingsworth house with Frankie, and she wasn't wearing makeup when she'd lost her virginity to Miles, but it felt different in the context of a planned date. She enjoyed makeup. She considered it her armor. It made her feel pretty and strong and important and in control. But she wiped the makeup off of her face and left herself bare.

"You look so beautiful like that." Miles said, taking the wipe that was now covered in makeup out of her hands and throwing it into the trash. "Now close your eyes." He said, swiping his fingers into the bowl of avocado mixture and spreading it onto Lola's face. The feeling of Miles's fingers rubbing against Lola's face felt incredibly intimate. Which was strange, because she'd gotten plenty of facials in the past, but it had never felt like such an intimate experience. She could feel his breath brushing her nose. She could hear his fingertips scraping the bowl. Every noise and every movement felt amplified. It was weird, but nice. "And now you look even more beautiful." Miles added with a bit of sarcasm in his voice as he finished applying the avocado mixture to Lola's face.

"Yeah, this is my best look for sure." Lola said in response. Their faces were inches away from one another, and it was clear that they were both restraining themselves. They wanted to kiss so badly. But that's not what they were going to do. "So, why was this your idea?" Lola inquired. It was thoughtful and sweet, but she was expecting something extravagant from Miles. He tended to like to impress.

Miles reached his hand out for Lola to take and lead her to the dining room table where there was an impressive spread of food that Lola hadn't even noticed, though… Now that she noticed it, she couldn't stop breathing in the heavenly scents. It was definitely Argentinian food. "Because, I don't want to show off. You want me for me, not my money." Miles started. "And yeah, I'm going to spoil you, don't get me wrong, but…" He paused to pull out a chair for Lola, who was stunned by everything surrounding her.

"Tonight is about us, not where we go or what we do. It's about us. Sure, I could take you to a five star restaurant or some crap like that… But this is what I want with you. I want to sit across from you with silly face masks on, eating the best Argentinian food in town, sharing a bottle of champagne and just talking."

It was probably obvious to Miles that Lola was completely taken aback by how thoughtful this all was. She opened her mouth to speak as Miles disappeared into another room and when he returned champagne bottle in hand, she'd finally gotten some words. "Best Argentinian food in town, huh?" Lola teased. "This doesn't look like it came from the Cantina."

She wanted to reply to the rest, but something inside of her was holding back. She didn't know why. This was exactly what she had always wanted. Someone who wanted her for who she was. Someone who just wanted to know her and get close to her and treat her like a human being. But something just wouldn't allow her to be open with her emotions. Not yet. Maybe the champagne would help, though.

"Is it okay for you to drink champagne? You know, with your past…" She trailed off, not wanting to just straight up say 'drug addiction' in the middle of a romantic moment.

Miles grinned. "I'm only going to have one glass." He said. "I learned in London that I'm fine as long as I control myself and only drink when I'm in a good headspace. And I am definitely in a good headspace right now." He said.

"Oh, and about the food… No, it's not from the Cantina. It's…uh," He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of paper and handing it to Lola. She unfolded the note and basically squeaked with excitement as she read it. The meal had been made with love by her father and her grandparents. Miles had gotten them involved in this too. It was so strange and personal, and almost felt a little violating to get her family involved in a first date, yet she couldn't help but find it endearing. He went the extra mile to really ensure that everything was perfect, and Lola just didn't know how she'd gotten so lucky.

Miles poured a glass of wine for himself and then for Lola. "To us?" He said. It felt like a movie, she couldn't deny, but in a good way.

"To us." She replied, clinking her glass against his and taking a sip. She decided that if things were going to feel like a movie, she wanted to participate too. So why not say something cliche in response? "And to our future." She added. "Whatever it may bring."


	14. Chapter 14

Reviews are much appreciated! I want to have input as to what you guys want outta this story :) Hope you're enjoying!

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Lola's fingers wandered across her stomach, which was completely overfilled with delicious Argentinian food, and smiled. This date was perfect. Way better than any extravagant plan that Miles could've had. It was crazy that Miles knew her better than she knew herself. She thought she wanted to go out and do something fancy, but this was better. The way that the conversation was flowing out of the two of them without hesitation, the delicious food made from family recipes, the smoothness of her skin due to the avocado mask... It felt _right_.

"So, what's next on our agenda?" Lola said, taking a sip of her second glass of champagne. She was watching herself pretty carefully. The last thing she wanted was to end up blackout drunk in front of Miles again.

"Who said this wasn't the entire date?" Miles replied, seeming offended.

Lola stopped in her tracks, feeling her entire face turn as pink as her hair was in sophomore year. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... This is great. I didn't mean to assume..." She stumbled on her words.

"I'm kidding." Miles laughed, reaching his hand into his pocket and grabbing his car keys. "Franks?" He called out, and Frankie came barreling down the stairs like nothing Lola had ever seen. If only Frankie had that type of speed during track season, maybe Degrassi would've won more meets. "Frankie, would you mind driving my car to Lola's favorite gelato place and grabbing us some delicious gelato? And of course, grab some for yourself." He said, and Frankie nodded, grabbing the keys excitedly and disappearing.

"Damn, she did not hesitate." Lola said.

"She's been dying to drive my car since I got it a couple years back." Miles responded, standing up from his seat and approaching Lola. "Come here." He said, reaching his hands out and picking her up from her seat without even missing a beat. Lola found herself wondering when Miles got so ripped, but she kept it to herself. She was enjoying his touch far too much to question anything.

Miles carried Lola to the couch and placed her carefully before sitting next to her. "You're stuffed, aren't you?" He questioned, and Lola giggled. It was true. She had eaten way more than she should've, but she couldn't help it. Her family's cooking was far superior to anything she'd ever tasted. Authentic Argentinian food had _no_ competition.

"I wanted to ask you about something." Miles said, his tone suddenly much more serious. He pulled Lola into his lap and placed a kiss on her jaw before proceeding. "Something about... something we never really discussed." He started. "The, uh... baby. Or... lack thereof." His hand found its way to Lola's stomach and she found herself getting self conscious and a bit uncomfortable. She hadn't thought about her abortion in a while. Sure, it came up every once in a while, especially for the few months after, every time she got her period, but... She'd just about wiped it from her brain for the most part. It was traumatic as hell, and the last thing she wanted to do was think about it during her perfect date with Miles.

"Okay..." Lola forced herself to say, trying to make herself seem more comfortable with the topic than she truly was. "Why now? I mean... This isn't exactly first date convo. At least... Not any first dates I've ever been on." She said.

Miles placed his lips on Lola's jaw once again, and trailed the kisses to her neck and collarbone. "And I won't force you to talk about it beyond answering this one question... Did you do it because of me? Because I was... you know, kind of a piece of crap?" He asked, and Lola took a moment to take the words in. She was a little bit distracted by how good his lips felt on her skin, honestly. It was the weirdest combination of feelings. She was a little turned on by his kisses, but also completely turned off and a little traumatized by her abortion being brought up again. Oh, Miles... He never strayed away from being confusing as hell.

"I wasn't ready." Lola said simply. "Even if we were like this back then, I wouldn't have been ready. It wasn't you." She said, wrapping her arms around Miles's neck, feeling the champagne kick in, making her movements a little slower and more fluid. "I promise. Now can we stop talking about that for like... ever?" Lola added, a smile creeping across her features. All she wanted to do now was lighten the mood, and maybe kiss Miles a bunch.

"You promise?" Miles said, his voice still seeming unsure. Lola started to wonder just how much of a toll this loss had taken on Miles. If she was honest, she didn't think he cared too much when it was happening. He had bigger fish to fry, including a boyfriend who just got out of a coma. Ex-boyfriend now.

"I promise." Lola said. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you beforehand. It was your... you know..." She didn't want to say _baby_. That felt so serious. So real. "It was yours too."

Miles's face contorted when Lola said that. "You tried to talk to me. The fact that I abandoned you in your time of need is not your fault." Miles said. "I just wanted to talk about it, since we never really did..." He said. "And now that we've talked about it, we can officially move past it. I promise."

It was strange to look back, Lola thought. If she hadn't made the hard decision to get rid of her baby, she would have a living breathing human right now that relied on her for everything. That was terrifying, which just cemented the fact that that was absolutely the right decision to make. After all, if she had a baby right now, she probably wouldn't be sitting on Miles Hollingsworth's lap, inches from his lips.

"Is it weird to say I love you?" Miles whispered.

Lola nodded. "Probably. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't say it."

"I love you, then." Miles replied, placing his lips gently on Lola's.

"Let's go upstairs." Lola said, and Miles didn't hesitate for a second.


	15. Chapter 15

Short chapter this time! I have a good plan for the next couple episodes. Reviews/suggestions for where this story should go are much appreciated!

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Lola stared up at Miles with stars in her eyes. They'd gone upstairs, and Lola had to admit, sex with Miles when he was actually _hers_ was much better than the past hookups they'd had.

"I'm so glad I came back here this summer." Miles said. "I mean, there's so much crap going on in my life, with my dad and school and everything else..." Miles trailed off, placing a kiss on Lola's forehead, then her nose, then her lips.

"What about school?" Lola inquired. He hadn't mentioned anything about how school was going in London, and she honestly had just assumed that everything was fine there. An oversight, apparently. "What's going on with school?" She asked again when Miles hesitated, sitting up a little bit in bed. Now she was concerned.

Miles pursed his lips. "Nothing. I just... I'm not going back there. I don't like it." He said.

"No, you can't drop out." Lola said, her voice sounding a bit more preachy than she intended. "I mean, you can't. You're gonna be such a successful writer. Don't drop out. You only gave it a year. There's still like, an adjustment period or whatever, right? You can't give up."

Instead of answering Lola, though, Miles just wrapped his arm around Lola and pulled her close. "Can we please just not talk about this right now? I'm... basking in the afterglow of you." He teased, kissing her jaw in his best attempt to distract her. "Now, I'm not ready for a round two yet, but... We can kiss?" He offered up, but Lola wasn't taking the bait. She pulled away, crossing her arms on her bare chest. "C'mon, Lola." Miles whispered. "I don't want to talk about stupid school right now. I'll talk about literally anything else."

"I want to talk about this. You're making a mistake." Lola replied, refusing his affection once again. It wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be as close to him as humanly possible, but she wasn't going to allow Miles to just brush this off. He worked so hard to get to this place, and the last thing Lola wanted was to be associated with the period of his life where he gave up on college.

The two sat silently for a beat, but before the silence could be broken by either of them, Frankie's voice bellowed through the halls. "Guys? Where'd you go?" She asked. She was clearly back with their dessert.

"Let's go, okay?" Miles kissed Lola's cheek and got out of the bed. "We don't want Frankie to find us like this." He gestured to his still-naked body and flashed her a charming smile. Lola couldn't help it. She loved his smile too much. So she returned a smile.

"This conversation isn't over, Miles." Lola responded, getting out of bed and slipping the outfit Miles had bought her sans bra and underwear. Frankie wouldn't notice, right?


	16. Chapter 16

"So... How was the sex?" Frankie questioned with a grin on her face as she handed over the frozen desserts she had offered to fetch. No subtlety at all... that was the Frankie Hollingsworth way of life.

Lola's cheeks warmed up and turned a shade of pink no blush could ever duplicate. "Uh, what are you talking about?" She tried to play it cool, but she was failing pretty hilariously. "We didn't... I mean, I didn't..." Lola was scrambling to deny, deny, deny, but honestly, if Miles weren't there, or if it weren't Frankie's brother that she had just slept with only about fifteen minutes before, she would have been raving and dishing every last detail. Suddenly, a thought crossed Lola's mind: If she were to date Miles, would she spend the whole time censoring herself around her best friend? And how would she survive that?

Miles snatched the dessert from Frankie's hands and gave her a playful shove. "Shut it, Frankenstein." He said, dismissing the questioning with ease. Lola cupped her hand over her mouth, stifling laughter and shock. She _knew_ how much Frankie despised that nickname. "You know," Miles started. "I never asked how the sex was with Jonah... Oh, wait... There's a reason for that." He smirked, and Frankie responded by simply sticking her tongue out.

"Are you two done bullying one another yet?" Lola interjected.

Frankie exchanged a glance with her brother. "Are we?"

"Well, I'm putting an end to this...weirdo sitch. Whatever it is. Weirdos." Lola said, sliding a spoonful of frozen yogurt into her mouth and grabbing Miles's hand, pulling him toward her. "Miles and I are gonna go talk in his room." She paused and turned to Frankie before she could be interrupted. "Just _talk_ , no innuendo, Franks."

Frankie raised a brow, but shooed the two off. "We didn't have to ditch Frankie. I was just messing with her."Miles said as the two carried their frozen desserts to Miles's room, but Lola just shook her head.

"The reason why we're going back to your room is because we're not done having this conversation." Lola spoke as soon as they were out of Frankie's earshot. "You're _not_ gonna leave London. You can't. It's a huge opportunity for you, in an awesome place. I mean, this is your best chance to become a _real_ writer. You can't just let that opportunity go."

"I don't want it." Miles said, barely letting Lola finish her speech. "I don't want to go back to London. I'm not happy there." He said, approaching the door to his room, opening it, and motioning for Lola to enter before him. It was strange to Lola that even in the middle of a serious discussion, his reflex was still to be a gentleman. "I'm just not happy. And the environment there, the people there... Fellow writers, fellow creators, fellow college students... _Everyone_ is on pills, coke, weed, alcohol..." He listed the substances he couldn't be around on his slightly shaky fingers. All Lola wanted to do was reach over and place a kiss on each of those finger tips, but she wanted to hear the rest, so she stayed silent. "It was... It _is_ triggering as hell. Within my first semester, I relapsed. I went on a three week bender with this guy I met in my Shakespearean Tragedy class. Some of my professors took "two week rehab stint" as an excused absence, but... it still messed up my GPA pretty badly." He paused, burying his pain with a large spoonful of slightly melty dessert. "The special spot I earned is... no longer offered to me. I'd have to pay completely out of pocket if I wanted to go back. Which for obvious reasons, I don't."

Lola was speechless. All of the pressure she'd just placed on Miles's back, all of the pain that he had just expressed... She felt terrible. And she didn't even know where to start with a response.

"Are you okay now?" Lola asked.

"I am." Miles said. "Especially now that I'm back here. With you."

She pulled him closer then climbed onto his lap. "I'm sorry I pushed you without knowing the whole story." She said. "I think London is still an awesome opportunity for you, but I get why you don't want to go back. How about this? Stay here this summer, and if you still don't want to ever step foot in London ever again after, I'll support you with everything I have. I'll be your biggest cheerleader."

"You did look good in that Power Cheer uniform back in the day, you know..." Miles turned the tone of the conversation from serious to flirty so easily.

"Oh, yeah? You mean to tell me you've thought I was cute for _four years_ and you never said a word?" Lola leaned in and pressed her lips against the tip of Miles's nose playfully. The weight from just a few minutes earlier when Miles admitted he'd relapsed on his drug problem was still pressing on her chest, but she was doing her best not to harp on the serious subjects. She didn't want these types of things to define their relationship. The whole pregnancy saga was tumultuous enough for a lifetime. The last thing the two of them needed was _more_ drama.

Miles pressed his lips against the tip of Lola's nose, copying the action she'd just performed, then sighed. "You know, I wish that I'd said something so much earlier. I spent so much time with the wrong people, doing the wrong things, down the wrong path... It feels like I'm finally who I'm supposed to be. _With_ who I'm supposed to be." He paused, looking to Lola with a nervous glance. "Sorry, that was too intense, wasn't it?"

"Not at all." Lola replied at once. "Not at all."


	17. Chapter 17

Minutes felt like hours as Lola worked her dreaded Sunday double-shift, her mind only able to focus on Miles Hollingsworth. What was he doing? What romantic, amazing date was he planning now? Was he thinking of her the way she was thinking of him? She stumbled through taking orders, often having to ask customers to repeat themselves, which was not good for business. She knew this. After another flunked customer service interaction, bringing a customer a regular coke instead of a diet coke, Lola knew she had to do something to get her mind straight. Not even Lola's family owning the Cantina could save or excuse Lola losing money.

She approached her father, who was at the front of the restaurant greeting, something he always liked to do when the restaurant was busy, which it always was during the Sunday brunch shift. "Do you mind if I take a break?" Lola asked, placing her hand on her father's shoulder to grab his attention.

"Sorry, we're way too busy. We need everyone on board." He responded, not taking his eyes off the crowd of customers he was greeting and attempting to keep happy while they waited for tables to open up. "Sorry. I know you were hoping to get off early today, but I don't think it's in the cards. Apparently the other Argentinian restaurant a few blocks away stopped doing brunch, so we're getting a whole new crop of customers. Sundays are probably going to be our most profitable and busy day for the next few months."

Lola sighed, but placed a light kiss on her father's cheek anyway. "No worries. I'll just brave through." She said, knowing now that she really needed to get her head screwed on if she was going to work the next several hours without a break. She departed from her father and headed back toward one of her tables, grabbing an empty water glass and taking it away to refill. Her brain was still so occupied, but her body managed to work on auto-pilot for a while. She wasn't at her most charismatic or attentive, but she was doing her job just fine.

Never had Lola been so completely stuck on someone. She didn't realize that this was the way you were supposed to feel about someone. With Tiny, her mind was usually stuck on how she was going to keep him interested, because deep down, there was something inside of Lola that recognized that Tiny never stopped liking Shay, and that she was the second choice. But with Miles, she knew that she was his finally his first choice. His only choice. And it felt _really_ , really good.

"Going on a hot date with the white boy after this?" Lola's coworker, an older woman named Belinda, said as she filled up a drink next to Lola at the soda fountain. "Roberto said he heard that he was _tu novio_." She teased, shoving her elbow into Lola's ribs lightly, causing a very distracted Lola to spill the drink that she was filling up.

"Crap," Lola whispered under her breath as she looked down at her hands which were now coated in sticky soda and shivering from the impact of the ice. "Why'd you do that?" Lola questioned instinctively, quickly realizing as soon as she said it that Belinda hadn't purposefully done this. It was her own fault for not being on alert. For being distracted by the thoughts of the very boy Belinda was questioning her about. "Sorry." She quickly corrected. "I'm like, completely on a cloud. I can't even think straight." She started as she took a wet rag that Belinda had extended to her and began wiping the sugary residue off her hands and arms.

To tell the truth, Belinda wasn't a coworker Lola had spent much time with. There were a lot of people who worked for the Cantina who felt like family to her, and Belinda truthfully... wasn't at the top of the list. She was relatively new to the Cantina, and for some reason always seemed sort of nervous whenever she talked to Lola. Lola didn't consider herself a particularly intimidating person, but she wasn't about to ask Belinda why she always seemed sort of on edge around Lola, especially when Belinda was being pretty pleasant at the moment, even reaching out to Lola trying to gab a bit. So, she decided to just go with it.

"Could you grab me a new cup?" Lola asked as she finished cleaning up the spill and attempted to go back to the task at hand: refilling a customer's drink. She was sure that in the time it had taken her to flub this task, seven more tasks have piled up at the tables she was now unintentionally neglecting. Belinda handed Lola a fresh cup and Lola began filling it up again, this time keeping her thoughts as straight as she possibly could. "Yeah," she said. "I have a date with Miles tonight. And he is my boyfriend." She confirmed, for the first time out loud. "I'm kind of really distracted thinking about him, if you couldn't tell." She referenced to a soda stain she now had on her apron. Annoying, but she didn't have time to obsess over it. She gave Belinda a look that said 'be right back' and served the drink she had filled up and began checking in on her other tables, seeing what tasks she needed to complete now.

"You seem really happy." Belinda said the next time the two crossed paths to clean up a table that had been left a disaster by a group of parents who had way too many kids and the types of attention spans that let the floor under the table to be almost completely coated with maple syrup and orange juice. "Your father told me about how you two did that play together and you lost that baby and I've just been really keeping you in my thoughts ever since. Hoping that you two would be able to make things work.

Lola was struck suddenly when she heard what Belinda had said. She was first confused by the intimacy in which Belinda referred to Lola's father, when Lola didn't know that the two talked at all, let alone by the second thing that had struck Lola so violently. The intimacy of the details... and the detail Belinda seemed to get wrong. Had Lola's father been talking to people about Lola's brief pregnancy, and had he been telling people that she had a miscarriage rather than an abortion? Disclosing the details of her abortion with her father was not something Lola wanted to do, but due to the public nature of the video she posted about it, her hand was kind of forced. That video got thousands of views. There was no way that it wouldn't be brought up to Lola's father, especially considering he ran a restaurant named after Lola that had a giant mural with Lola's face on the side of the building.

He wasn't happy about it, of course, but he accepted that it was Lola's choice at the end of the day. Or had he? The way Belinda spoke about it really sounded like the 'loss' wasn't a conscious choice. "I'm sorry?" Lola finally said, stopping completely in her tracks. "What are you talking about?"

Belinda's face suddenly went pale. "I... thought he talked to you." She said, her voice much weaker than before, and her mannerisms suddenly reverting back to the nervous ones Lola knew her for. "I feel like I'm kind of stuck here." Belinda stated, mostly avoiding eye contact with Lola. "Your father was supposed to talk to you months ago, but he kept putting it off. He told me that he was going to tell you yesterday... But it's clear he didn't, so I guess this falls on me now. Your father and I are together. Engaged." She dropped the bomb, and without thinking, Lola pulled her apron off of her petite body and dropped it on the restaurant floor. She walked toward the entrance where her father was still greeting a slightly lighter flow of customers, and she spoke to him in a tone she'd seldom used with him. An angry tone.

"You're engaged." She said. She didn't ask. She may have not known Belinda, but it was clear from the way the woman stumbled through her statements that she wasn't making up a story. "You're engaged, and you didn't even tell me you were seeing someone."

Her father kept his mouth shut, clearly shocked and thrown off by the confrontation. "Why don't you take a paid vacation day?" He said, his demeanor as calm as it could be, though it was clear that his eyes were screaming for Lola to _please_ , please understand that they can't talk about it right now.

"I think that'd be best." Lola said, walking out of the restaurant without looking at her father again. She was completely mixed up about this. Why would her father hide this? He had been in a relationship with this woman behind Lola's back for who knows how long. She thought of her father as someone she could trust and someone she had a good relationship with, but maybe that wasn't true. After her mother left, it took her a long time to not have issues trusting people. She had just recently started feeling like her trust issues weren't controlling her anymore, but now, she was back at square one.


	18. Chapter 18

"Wait, so he's _engaged_ to someone and didn't even bother to tell you he was dating?" Miles asked, and Lola nodded.

She had her head buried in Miles's chest crying her eyes out for the past forty five minutes, not even having the ability to explain why she was crying. Finally, she caught her breath and caught Miles up. Now, she had to try to put together her thoughts and continue on a conversation with her boyfriend.

"Apparently. She's this woman who has been working at the restaurant for maybe a year. I really don't know her that well. She just kind of popped up one day and hasn't really integrated herself into the family of the restaurant. I guess I know why now. Because she's only here to be mi _madrastra_."

"Madrastra?" Miles questioned.

"Stepmom." Lola replied. She's trying to swoop in and become my new mom. I mean, it's not like I'm one of those people who thinks my mom is sacred and nobody can replace her... She left us, I'd be more than happy to have some nicer lady who actually cares about me and my dad be around, but... the way this is happening, it's so weird. It's like... Why is he lying to me? Why did he keep this from me?"

Miles pulled Lola onto his lap, facing him so she was straddling his lap. Their faces were only inches apart. "I don't know. And I'm sorry this is happening." He said, his breath brushing up against Lola's lips. It wasn't even sexy. Well... that would be a lie. It was kind of sexy. But the moment, more than anything, just felt intimate. Like they were the only two in the world. Like he couldn't care about anything in the moment more than making Lola feel better and making Lola feel heard. "I just want you to know, though, that your dad isn't representative of all men. I struggled with this for a long time. Convincing myself that not every man had bad intentions and only cared about himself like my dad, or that not every woman was too sucked up in appearances to care about what's best for everyone like my mom. But no matter how much we idolize our parents or see them as these people who define who we are, that's not the truth. Yeah, he's your dad, but he's also just a person. A person who fucks up and a person who makes some not perfect choices that don't define him. Just like you. and me."

Lola felt affection for Miles travel from her chest throughout her whole body, overwhelming her. "So this is what it's gonna be like to date a writer?"

Miles rolled his eyes in the most playful way and pulled Lola in tight. "Yeah, it is. So get used to it."

"You're kind of the best." Lola said, allowing Miles's grip to overtake her body.

"Yeah, yeah." Miles responded, unable to hold back the grin that was playing across his features. "Now tell me, what fun thing do you want to do to get this off your mind? Ice cream? Bowling?"

Lola couldn't help but laugh. "Has Miles Hollingsworth ever even _been_ bowling?" It was absurd to her, the thought of Miles at any point in his life, eating nachos at a bowling alley and wearing shoes that tons of strangers have sweated in.

He shook his head, confirming that no, he had never bowled, which made Lola even more sure that that was what the two of them were going to do. She hadn't been bowling in years, but however horrible she was going to be at bowling, she could almost guarantee that Miles would be ten times worse, and look so much funnier in the process.

"Alright, so we're going bowling. I'm going to go up to Frankie's room and freshen up my makeup, and you are going to search the internet and find the dingiest, grossest bowling alley within a hundred mile radius."

"Frankie isn't home." Miles responded as the two untangled from one another and kissed a few times instinctively, his hands wandering down Lola's back and finding a comfortable spot right above her butt. Lola reached and pushed his hand down, allowing him to grasp at her body through her pants. "Nobody is home, you know..."

Lola pulled Miles up to stand with her. "Okay, new plan. You and I are gonna go into your room, _then_ I'm going to freshen up my makeup in Frankie's room, _then_ we're going bowling."

Without a second thought, Miles scooped Lola up and carried her bridal style to his room. And in this moment, all of the stress about her dad and his lies melted away. Because despite the fact that her dad turned out to be hiding things, Lola was in a healthy relationship with a guy that she loved who loved her too. That wasn't something to sneeze at.


	19. Chapter 19

After Lola and Miles had sex, and then had sex again... and then took a shower together, then had sex again... then eventually kept their hands to themselves long enough to get dressed, about three hours had passed. It was now almost eight o' clock, which meant Lola needed to do her hair and makeup so they could get the hell out of the house before it was too late to go anywhere.

"Productive day." Miles joked, sitting down on his slightly squeaky bed to slip a pair of socks onto his bare feet. Lola found it so interesting that a guy that rich, that perfect, had a bed that squeaked. Looking at Miles, he seems like the kind of guy who doesn't have those 'little things'. Those little things that people like Lola had. Like the pieces of gum Lola had admittedly stuck on the side of her bedside table when she was too lazy to get up and spit her gum out before she went to sleep. Or the fact that the eyeshadow palette that Lola used every day had makeup smeared all over the mirror and two pans that were completely empty due to Lola dropping the palette one too many times. Those little things that mean a person isn't perfect. Those little things that break you from the fantasy in your brain that the person in front of you is some sort of evolved species that could in no way be similar to _you_. And yet, his bed squeaked.

"I know." Lola said, almost instinctively placing herself on Miles's bed, but deciding that it was a bad idea. The last thing they needed was to start a make out session. There was no make out session in the world that Lola and Miles couldn't finish. Or at least try really, really, really hard for. "Let me just run into Frankie's room and steal some of her makeup and use her blow drier." She said, bending down and wrapping a towel around her still-damp hair. There was nothing worse than damp hair soaking your neck when you're trying to get ready.

She stepped toward the doorway, looking back at Miles one more time and flashing him a smile, then practically dancing through the walk to Frankie's bedroom. She entered Frankie's bedroom and made a beeline for Frankie's vanity, sitting down and flicking on the expensive and extensive lighting sitch. She grinned at her reflection in the mirror, then said quietly to nobody but herself, "Thank you, Frankie, for having completely unnecessary but totally awesome rich people stuff."

Lola dug into the makeup bag that was sitting on the vanity and pulled out the first few steps of her makeup routine. Fancy ass moisturizer that probably cost more than Lola made in a month of working at the cantina first. Second, Lola filled in her eyebrows. Not too thick or dark, just enough to enhance her natural shape, which an eyebrow waxing woman at the mall had once called, "the absolute best" she'd ever seen. Third was usually a liquid foundation, but all Frankie had was a powder. Totally wrong for Lola's skin type, and the color was probably gonna make her look like she'd seen a ghost or something, but it was going to have to do. She opened up the powdered foundation container after finishing her moisturizing and eyebrows, but there wasn't any makeup inside the compact. It was empty, except for a folded up note that had dark, bold letters clearly written with a permanent marker. Lola knew that whatever this note was, whatever those words were that were bleeding through the paper and begging to be read... It was something big. Frankie wouldn't empty out a container of expensive foundation for a note that said "Your breath smells" or something. Whatever was written on this little hidden slip of paper was something Lola couldn't unsee.

So... of course she opened it. Not her proudest moment, but Frankie shouldn't have hidden the note in her makeup bag if she didn't want Lola Pacini to happen upon it. Frankie knew how much Lola loved stealing her lipgloss.

The handwriting on the note was messy and a little hard to read, especially considering the thick marker it was written with. But the message that was scrawled was clear.

"Give me a chance. -B."

Who was B? What was he...or she, asking Frankie for a chance at? Was this a romantic situation? She had a million questions all competing for dominance in her brain. She wanted to know more. She needed to know more. And honestly, she was a little confused as to why Frankie hadn't come to her about this yet. Was this something to be ashamed of? Again... questions were sword fighting in her brain.

She tried to finish her makeup routine, but she couldn't stop thinking about B. When she finished a basic makeup look, she slipped the note into her pocket and left Frankie's room. She didn't know what this meant, but she was _going_ to find out.

"You ready to go now?" Miles said, looking into the fridge as Lola approached the kitchen. He poked his head out and took Lola in, smiling at her and reaching out to her, asking her to come closer to him.

"Yeah." Lola responded. "I have a question." She started, fishing into her pockets and grabbing the note that Frankie had hidden. "This was in Frankie's makeup bag. Like, hidden. On purpose. Do you know what it means?"

Miles inspected the note for a moment, then looked up at Lola and smirked. "Baaz." He said. "That weirdo that Hunter hangs out with is finally making a move. Man... I hope it's not weird to say, but Tristan owes me money now. We bet like, three years ago when we met that kid that it wouldn't be long before he started being a total creep toward Frankie. Tristan had a theory that the whole reason Baaz even hung out with Hunter was because he thought Frankie was cute." He paused, then raised his eyebrows as if he was coming to a grand realization. "I realize now that I had way too much time on my hands and way too much interest in other peoples' lives when I was with Tristan. So glad I've improved on _that_ quality."

"We are literally sitting here gossiping about your sister because of a note I found when I snooped in her stuff." Lola responded and watched Miles's face scrunch up, admitting guilt. "Yeah, that's right. We're still just as petty and dumb as we were in high school."

Miles looked at her and pouted in protest, but she just laughed and shoved him away lightly.

"What do you say we take this gossip-a-thon to a bowling alley. I need to see Mr. Miles Hollingsworth roll a gutter ball and get _humbled_." She teased. There was nothing on earth she would rather do in this moment than hang out with Miles doing anything. Going bowling, laying down on the kitchen floor and just talking about everything... She wasn't picky. But she was kind of craving cheap nachos.

"Deal." Miles said, stepping away from the fridge and going to grab the keys to his car so that they could drive to the bowling alley. Lola looked down at the note that she had found one more time and wondered if Miles's theory was true. Was Baaz trying to seduce her? Or was B someone else altogether? Frankie could be in danger. It always felt weird to Lola when she knew enough to be concerned about a situation but not close enough to feel comfortable actually involving herself.

Lola and Miles drove to the bowling alley, and when they got there, the parking lot was pretty packed. They drove around the lot for a few minutes and ultimately settled for a spot by a dumpster. Definitely not their top choice, but they wanted to get into the bowling alley before they closed. Lola didn't actually know what the hours were for a bowling alley, but she figured they probably weren't too late. Was late night bowling a thing?

As they went through the processes of getting ready to bowl, Lola found that her new favorite thing on earth was to watch Miles react to things he knew nothing about. His face when he realized that you really did have to wear shoes off a shelf that were probably filled with the grossest bacteria imaginable... Priceless. They got settled in pretty quickly considering the loaded parking lot, but Lola wasn't complaining. They were set up with a lane, and now it was time for Lola to teach Miles how to bowl.

She stepped up to the lane and pointed at the machine that held the balls. "This is where you get the balls." She said, and Miles made a face that made her want to giggle, but she refused to give in. "Yes, the balls." She played into it a little bit, but Miles allowed her to continue her lesson. "You grab one of these boys." She said, grunting as she picked up a ball that was far too heavy before dropping it back in it's spot. "Maybe not that one." She said, and Miles laughed.

A bright pink ball stood out to Lola, and she grabbed it and immediately felt ready to kick Miles's ass in bowling. This was _her_ ball. It was the perfect weight, it was a holographic pink with the prettiest glitter she'd ever seen... It was like nothing she'd ever seen. It felt like fate.

"This one. Well, not this one, I'm using this one. You grab one of those." She pointed to the other balls, which now looked gross and plain in comparison.

She held the ball in her hands and encouraged Miles to come up and stand next to her. "Watch. You just stand like this... Pull your arm back... And..." She rolled the ball down the lane and knocked every pin down. Perfect. "Maybe I should join a pro bowling team." Lola said, allowing herself to get cocky.

"Right, right, it's not that hard." Miles said, grabbing an emerald green ball. That wasn't _so_ bad, Lola thought, but it definitely didn't measure up to her perfect ball.

Miles approached the lane with the same seriousness that Lola had displayed. Maybe mocking her, but she couldn't tell. He looked back at Lola as he began to pull his arm back in the same way that Lola had. He mimicked her moves to the best of his ability, but it truly didn't measure up. His arm sort of flailed as he tried to roll the ball and the ball ended up only hitting two pins. Honestly better than Lola anticipated for a boy Miles's age who had never even been bowling.

"I'll be your cheerleader." Lola teased, and Miles responded by raising his eyebrows.

"Does that mean I get to see the-"

Lola cut him off. "Hush. Don't do the stereotypical thing where a dude finds out a girl is a cheerleader and he brings up some cheerleader fetish thing. It's weird."

He nodded, agreeing with what she said, probably knowing that she was right.

He attempted to bowl once again and hit two more pins. Still not impressive, but he wasn't doing too horribly considering Lola was expecting gutter ball city.

When it came to be Lola's turn again, she asked Miles to go get nachos. She could smell the snack bar from where they were and it was driving her absolutely crazy.

He agreed, and Lola bowled an almost-perfect score once again, then waited for him to return so he could make fun of himself for sucking at bowling. As she stood there waiting for her boyfriend to return with the nachos, her mind watered back to Frankie and however 'B' was. All she wanted to do right now was listen to Frankie tell the whole story in depth, warts and all. She knew that there was something happening here. Someone doesn't just keep a random note that they get. This meant something. To Frankie, and now to Lola.

Miles returned, and Lola attempted to shake off the whole note situation. She knew the last thing Miles probably wanted to do was gossip about his little sister. Especially since there was barely any information to go off of. The best they had was a theory about it being Baaz, but there wasn't honestly that but evidence toward those claims. It would be...interesting if Frankie decided to date Baaz. That was all she really had to say about that situation on the outside. However, on the inside she was screaming "YOU CAN DO BETTER! BAAZ IS A WEIRDO!". Sure, Lola was sort of friends with Baaz, but to say the least, Baaz wasn't exactly someone anyone was clamoring to know whether or not her was single.

"You're still thinking about the Frankie thing, huh?" Miles asked, holding a plate of nachos that probably cost $20. Never have she ever felt more lucky to have with an amazing, handsome dude with some _great_ resources. Somehow his looks or his charms had convinced the ladies to give them way more extra cheese and some salsa thing that Lola had never seen in her life. It was like a secret menu or something, apparently.

"A little bit," Lola admitted. "But at least it distracts me from my dad." She said, that news hitting her all over again. It felt like every time she thought about how her dad had lied, she refused healing.

Miles stepped up to the plate once again and bowled slightly better with his emerald green ball. He was doing decently, still not even getting a gutter ball yet, which Lola had really expected.

"My turn!" Lola said, picking up the beautiful pink bowling ball and practically hugging it.

"One second." Miles said, picking up his phone and pointing it at Lola. "Let's get some Facetune pictures with that thing." Lola agreed and pulled the bowling ball close to her face and posed for a photo.

"Perfecto." Miles said, putting his phone down.

As Lola got ready to bowl another great score and show Miles how awesome she was at this totally trivial thing that didn't matter, a little girl approached her and caught her attention. At first, the little girl started talking Lola up, complimenting the gorgeous ball that Lola was so excited for... She knew that she couldn't keep it from this little girl.

"You can use it!" She insisted, though she wished she didn't have to. Damn being nice to kids. It was always so difficult.

She eyed the rest of the balls. The ugly, heavy, not pink and glittery balls. She wasn't happy with her decision, but she had grabbed a deep purple ball. It definitely felt too heavy for her, but she didn't have much else of a choice. The perfect ball for her was also the perfect ball for a tiny girl, and now that Lola was an adult and a high school graduate, she thought she should probably act like it. She practically dragged the ball like a weight and dropped it a few inches down the row, creating the first gutter ball in the game. She definitely didn't expect she'd be the one who had this problem. The second time, she managed to hit a pin, which was an improvement. A really small one, but an improvement nonetheless.

It was Miles's turn once again, so Lola decided to check her phone really quickly while Miles did the best he could do. She saw four texts and a missed fall from Frankie. The texts she read were all about the note. "Did you use my makeup bag?" "Did you use my foundation?" But she ignored the obvious. The note. Everything alluded to it, the notes got more and more specific about the circumstances revolving the note... She was hoping she'd get a chance to process all of this before it turned into drama central, but it was probably a bit too late. Frankie knew that she knew something, which means that there was no hiding this situation. Either Lola was learning the truth, or she was possibly losing Frankie's trust.

Lola she stepped up and reached for the heavy ball. Only this time, she didn't get a chance to drop it a few inches closer to the pins. Instead she dropped it on her foot.


	20. Chapter 20

"How you feeling?" Miles asked Lola as she stared down at the doctor who was now treating her fractured toe.

"I feel stupid." Lola pouted. "And I ruined our date. I didn't even get to completely own you in bowling." She pulled him toward her, placing a kiss on his jaw before continuing. "Who fractures their toe from dropping a bowling ball on it? I'm gonna have to come up with a cooler story to tell people when they ask."

Miles responded with a light laugh, not exactly the reaction Lola was expecting. She looked at him and noticed that his mind seemed elsewhere. He had been so present all night, but now all of a sudden his eyes were glazed over and his focus was not on Lola.

The doctor finished wrapping up Lola's toe and reassured her that the fracture wasn't a big deal and that she'd be back to normal in a little more than a month. Lola thanked him profusely, but all of her words were half hearted. The rest of her heart, and her concerns, were directed toward Miles. Something was clearly wrong.

"What's up?" She questioned, and in an instant, he snapped out of the daze.

"Nothing, I'm good." Miles reassured a bit too quickly.

"Tell me." She pulled him close once again and held his hand in hers. "Please?"

Miles exhaled. He was reluctant, but he spoke. "I just haven't spent much time in hospitals since..."

"The crash." Lola said. "I can't believe I didn't even think about how coming to the hospital like this could be... triggering." She said, holding his hand even tighter, trying to relay her guilt through tight hand holding, as if that was something that was going to help.

Lola relied on Miles's grip to help her stand up. She winced at the pain from putting pressure on her fractured toe. "The doctor said the nurse was going to bring me a pair of crutches.. Can you go find the nurse?" Lola asked, sitting back down. The pain was far too much. She had been given a little bit of pain medicine when she first arrived at the emergency unit, to tie her over until someone could come figure out what was going on. The truth of the matter was, she did need the crutches, but she also needed to get her pain medicine, which wasn't something she wanted to flaunt in front of Miles's face. First, she forces him to relive the trauma of the bus crash and practically living at the hospital visiting his comatose boyfriend, and now she was going to dangle pain pills in front of his face? She wasn't sure the exact details of the substance abuse issues he had a few years back, but she knew that something went down, so she needed to discuss pills with her doctor in private.

Luckily, she spotted her doctor in the hall almost immediately, and Miles was nowhere in sight. She called out for the doctor, who heard her call and entered the room.

"Hey, I know I said no when you asked if I needed a prescription, but..." Lola said, "I think I'd like something for the pain. It's a lot."

The doctor nodded and pulled out his prescription pad. "Just be careful with these. Only take them when you really need them."

Lola nodded, opening her mouth to thank the doctor, but her voice was replaced by another familiar one. Miles.

"I got the crutches." He said, holding silver crutches that were adjusted way too tall for Lola's short frame. "Gonna need to take these down a peg or two." Miles looked to the doctor and gave him a small smile. He seemed like he was in a better mood. Lola wondered what perked him up. For a moment, she thought about that, but she realized the next moment as the doctor was handing her a sheet of paper with a prescription for pain pills on it... that perkiness would probably be ruined soon.

Lola snatched the prescription from her doctor and smiled, "Thank you." She said in a rushed tone. "I'm sure you have like, cancer to cure or something, so I won't take up any more of your time."

The doctor gave her a strange look, but exited the situation. Now all Lola had to do was figure out how to handle this. She didn't want to lie to Miles, they just started dating. Even the whitest of white lies could crumble a new relationship. But she didn't want to admit that she was trying to hide the fact that she was taking pills. Then he'd realize she was treating him differently due to his past, and... Every path was a road to disaster.

"Boo." She said, reaching out for the crutches. "Help me adjust these?" She tried the route of 'ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist'. But by the look on Miles's face she wasn't sure if she was pulling it off.

"What'd he want to talk to you about?" He asked, not even an ounce of suspicion in his voice. He was too good for Lola. He held a finger out, taking a minute to adjust the crutches before he handed to them. "That should be better." He handed to them, the height now much more suited for Lola's tiny body.

Lola shakily stood up once again, still feeling a lot of pain as her weight pushed on the fractured bone. She situated the crutches under her armpits, which was immediately uncomfortable. "I'm gonna hate this." She expressed with a sigh, and Miles leaned in and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Come on, lets go grab dinner." Miles suggested, sweet as ever. Was he really just going to drop walking in on Lola having a shady exchange with her doctor? Was he really not curious what they were talking about or what the piece of paper she had shoved into her pocket hastily was? Again, Lola didn't deserve this boy.

The two made their way out of the hospital and out to Miles's car, Lola leaning on Miles more than the crutches. Finally, after a few minutes of Lola hobbling, exchanging balance between her feet, the crutches, and Miles's body, he finally scooped her up and began carrying her to the car. He carried her most of the way, finally tapping out once the car was in sight.

"I promise this is no commentary on your body," Miles said as he opened the passenger door for Lola and allowed her to enter the car. "But I really need to hit the gym and lift some weights." He shut the door when Lola was all settled in and walked around the car to get into the driver's seat. He climbed in, started the car and backed out of the parking spot. "What are you feeling for dinner?" Miles asked. "No ball shaped food, right?"

Lola cracked a smile, but kept her gaze outside. "Today has been really weird." She said out loud. And once she began speaking, it was like word vomit. It was all coming out. "First, I find out about my dad lying to me... Then I see you, then I found that note, then I fractured my toe. And it's only..." She pulled her phone out of her pocket to check the time and noticed several missed calls from Frankie. "12:31. Also, Frankie has called me seventeen times, why?"


	21. Chapter 21

"Lola!" A voice exclaimed, approaching and taking Lola and Miles by surprise as they pulled into the Hollingsworth driveway. "Lola! Lola! Lola! Why didn't you call me? You never came home! I was worried sick." Lola's father continued. Miles and Lola hadn't even gotten out of the car yet. His voice was panicked. More panicked than Lola had ever heard, except maybe the night her mother left.

Lola looked at her phone and noticed the time. She had lost track after bowling, the hospital, grabbing dinner, and the long drive that she and Miles had taken after the fact. The two had decided that since the night had been so dramatic and traumatic, they would drive around and just talk everything through. And it had felt so, so good.

Miles cut off his car's engine and got out, walking around the car to open the door for Lola and help her out.

"What happened?" Lola's father said when he noticed Lola's foot all bandaged up. "Why didn't you call me? I know you were mad when you left the Cantina, but I was worried sick when you didn't come home."

It had been hours since Lola thought about the whole situation with her dad. Even when they were driving around, she hadn't even thought to bring up the fact that her dad had been dating someone behind her back and hiding it from her. When she first found out, she thought it was something that she was never going to be able to eradicate from the forefront of her mind. Her dad was the most important person in her life, and the betrayal cut deep. But after a few hours with Miles, she had gotten it off her mind. Until now.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think about it." Lola said honestly. "It's been such a crazy day and I just forgot." She grabbed the crutches that Miles had fetched from the back of the car and set them under her armpits. "I'm okay, I promise. I just dropped a stupid bowling ball on my foot."

Lola's father pulled her into a tight hug, one that made her almost lose grip of the crutches that rested under her armpits. "Alright, alright, I'm fine. I'll be fine." Lola assured her father, trying to push him away to the best of her ability. Things felt so weird with her dad now. She couldn't look at him the same after he lied to her the way he did. She looked over to Miles, whose face was contorted into a weird scowl. Clearly, he wasn't exactly happy either. Probably because he knew how much the betrayal was breaking Lola.

"Let's go. It's late." Lola's father pulled his cell phone out of his pockets and showed Lola and Miles the time. It was only a few minutes from 3 in the morning. "We'll talk about all of this tomorrow." His tone was a bit strict, which Lola didn't really think was fair. He had no right to be mad at Lola when he was a liar.

"I'm an adult. I'll stay here. You can go home." Lola said defiantly. She rarely defied her dad, which was evident when his face twisted into a shocked expression after she spoke out. "I mean, if that's okay?" Lola looked to Miles, realizing she had just invited herself to sleep at the Hollingsworth house without even consulting a single Hollingsworth.

Miles nodded, his eyes still glued to Lola's dad. He was not happy. Clearly.

"Lollipop… I know you know about me and…" His voice trailed off, seemingly too embarrassed to admit his wrongdoings.

"You mean the huge part of your life you've been hiding from me for… how long again? I feel like I don't even know you." Lola shot back.

"That's not fair." Her father said. "I'm allowed to keep parts of my life private. Plus…" He started, but stopped.

"Plus what?" Lola replied.

"I didn't want you to think I'm replacing your mom."

The thought had crossed Lola's mind admittedly, and as much as she wanted to pretend her mom walking out didn't scar her, it did. But that wasn't the main reason she was so upset. She was upset because her father, the person she lived with and talked to about almost everything, had hidden a relationship and an engagement from her. And she had to find out because his fiancé, a woman Lola barely knew, blabbed the news.

"I think you should go." Lola said, holding her arm out for Miles to come closer, then clutching his arm when he got within reach. "It's late."

Her father looked heartbroken. She wanted to feel bad, she wanted to feel like hugging him and taking back her harsh tone, but if she was honest, she didn't. He had broken her faith in him. She knew eventually she'd probably forgive him and get over this, but right now… She didn't want to see her dad's face. Every time she looked at the familiar, worn face that she had grown up with, she thought about the way her heart had sunk to the floor when Belinda blabbed that they were engaged. En-freaking-gaged. If her dad was just dating a woman or having a fling, Lola could probably get over it. But he had been with this woman long enough and loved her enough to propose. This was no fling. He was ready to get married. Ready to give Lola a stepmom… Yet he was still hiding this huge part of his life from Lola. She wanted to look into her dad's eyes and scream "WHY?!" but she knew that anger wouldn't solve anything. So once she calmed down, she'd figure things out.

"I'm sorry." Her father said, sounding resigned. He tried to make eye contact with Lola, but her eyes were glued to the ground now. She couldn't look at him. "Good to see you, Miles." Her father said, and Miles responded with a simple "Have a good night." More mature than Lola could've been.

Lola's dad got into his car and drove away, leaving Miles and Lola standing in the well-lit driveway in front of the Hollingsworth house.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Lola said, before Miles could speak about what just happened.

"I know." Miles said, crouching down in an instant and placing one hand in the ditch of Lola's knee and one on the small of her back. The crutches dropped to the ground as Miles picked Lola up and cradled her in his arms. "I assume you don't want to walk?"

"You assumed right." Lola let a smile creep onto her face. There was still anger and confusion and sadness bubbling in her chest, but as Miles carried her into the Hollingsworth mansion, she realized that her future was so much bigger and so much better than the Cantina, or her dad, or even her mom. And as long as she had Miles holding her up, both literally and figuratively, she felt like she could get through anything.


	22. Chapter 22

**AUTHORS NOTE: I apologize for the messed up version of this chapter that I uploaded! I transferred it from my writing app and didn't check to make sure it didn't get screwed up before posting it. My mistake! Please review and let me know what you think and where you want this story to go in the future! I'm going to try to get on a better schedule including updating my other stories regularly and maybe starting new one(s)!**

"Lo, wake up." Miles whispered into Lola's ear, his breath a bit too warm for Lola's tastes, sending shivers down her spine. Lola's eyes shot open and she began to observe her surroundings. They had fallen asleep on the couch watching a movie. Mamma Mia - Lola's pick, of course. It was her go-to comfort movie after all, and with all the drama that was making her head buzz, she needed a little bit of comfort.

"What time is it?" She spoke groggily, looking at the television screen which was now black. The movie was over, she guessed. She hadn't even made it to her favorite part, the song 'Slipping Through My Fingers'. The whole movie reminded her of her mom, though the two had never even shared the movie. With the drama surrounding Lola possibly having a new stepmom though, she would take any feeling of connection with her mom that she could get.

Miles stood up from the couch and scooped Lola up in his arms effortlessly. When did he get so strong? "It's about five in the morning."

Lola looked to the window where the blinds were drawn. She could just barely see the morning light peeking through the slits in the blinds. Lola was pretty used to getting up this early and seeing the sun rise. Most of her high school career was spent trying to make sure stupid high school dudes found her hot after all. That didn't just come naturally. Lola Pacini had spent many a morning slaving over her hair and makeup and clothes instead of getting well-needed sleep.

"Are you tired?" Lola questioned and he shook his head.

"Not really, honestly. We kind of took a power nap."

Lola leaned up and kissed Miles's jaw. "Then you and me are gonna go swim and enjoy the sunrise."

This statement made the muscles in Miles's face all work together to create the biggest, brightest smile Lola thought she had ever seen. He was so beautiful she could just implode. Or explode. She could never remember what the actual phrase was. Or if there was even a phrase to say correctly or incorrectly.

"You can't really get your foot wet, but I can set you up on a float. I'd say that doesn't require a swimsuit, but I'm not gonna miss an opportunity to see my smoking hot girlfriend with as little clothes as possible. Can you just borrow a swimsuit from Frankie?" Miles asked, setting Lola down for a moment. His original intent was to carry her to the bedroom immediately so there was no doubt that his arms were getting tired from holding Lola in his arms.

"Frankie…" Lola's voice got a little cautious. She hadn't even thought about how she was gonna deal with that drama yet. After all, Lola had stolen some sort of mysterious note from Frankie's belongings, letting Frankie know that whatever secret she had going on was no longer completely under wraps. Eventually she was gonna have to own up to swiping the note and figure out what the hell Frankie was hiding, but she didn't exactly want to do that now. There was way too much on Lola's mind right now. "I guess I can try to sneak in without her noticing or whatever." Miles's face fell a little as he remembered that there was something going on with his little sister. "Crap, I forgot. I'm…" He tried to begin an apology, but Lola cut him off.

"It's fine, really. Just grab my crutches?" Lola tried to cover up the anxiety that was inflating in her chest like a balloon. "I should probably get used to walking on my own, right? I'm not always gonna have an ultra-cutie around to carry me from place to place like some sort of princess." What an image though, Lola thought. She used to dream of being a princess when she was younger. The way she felt when she was around Miles was about as close as she could imagine getting. Which at this point felt pretty close.

Miles disappeared to retrieve Lola's crutches, which had been left in the driveway after their great escape from the Pacini family soap opera, and Lola checked her phone. No notifications. So weird. She couldn't think of the last time there had been zero notifications on her home screen. There was usually at least one or two people trying to get in contact with her. Not even a Hastygram notification graced her lock screen. She tried not to get too sucked in as she had been actively trying to be better about not caring about petty things like social media likes and followers, but the fact that it appeared nobody had thought of Lola or interacted with something she had posted was… weird.

"Got your crutches." Miles entered the room and Lola locked her phone and placed it in her lap. Much more important things to pay attention to, she thought. Like her thoughtful and smoking hot boyfriend. She reached up and grabbed the crutches from Miles and thanked him for retrieving them.

"Thank ya." Lola grinned, standing up with the help of the crutches. She was definitely in a decent bit of pain, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. The doctor had offered up some pain pills but she had decided not to take them. She knew that pain pills weren't Miles's issue, but if she didn't _need_ them, why even risk triggering a former addict? Miles had gotten so far from the addiction issues he had in the past. The last thing he needed was Lola shaking around pill containers like maracas in his face. "I'm gonna run up to Frankie's room and see if I can steal a bikini without waking her up. Meet you at the pool?"

Miles nodded and made his way to his bedroom to put on a pair of swim trunks. Lola picked her phone up off the couch and looked at it one more time. She couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was off. She wasn't sure what, but it was something and she didn't like it.

Lola hobbled to Frankie's bedroom from the living room, a trek that she had made a million times before that had never seemed so hard. Having a broken toe was really slowing down her pace and harshing her mellow. It didn't matter though, because the moment she was floating in the pool looking at the sunrise she was sure the pain would melt away. Cautiously, Lola opened the door to Frankie's still-dark bedroom. She looked at her friend who was illuminated only by the bits of light that shone through her bedroom curtains. Asleep. Yes. Please stay that way, Lola thought. She creeped around as best as she could with her clunky crutches toward the dresser that held Frankie's bathing suits. Lola pulled open the drawer and grabbed a few options. She didn't really have time to study the sizes and fits of the bathing suits to see what would suit Lola's slightly more curvy physique. She had to just hope that whatever she grabbed would contain her bigger butt and boobs. Not that Miles would mind a little bit of cleavage spilling out.

"Lola?" Frankie's voice was quiet and sleepy. "What are you doing in my room? And why do you have… crutches?" Caught. Damn. Closing her eyes tightly and scrunching her nose, Lola slowly turned around. "I was just… grabbing a bathing suit. Miles and I were gonna go for an early swim." "Crutches?" Frankie repeated in her reply, now sitting up in her bed with her naturally curly hair stuck to her slightly sweaty forehead.

"Right… I dropped a bowling ball on my toe. Broke it. My toe, not the bowling ball." A clarification that probably didn't need to be stated.

"Broke it? Are you okay Lo?" Frankie's voice showed more concern than Lola was expecting. After all, the last interaction the two had included Frankie questioning Lola about the mysterious note. Lola figured Frankie would be a little peeved at her.

Her armpits getting a little sore, Lola placed herself at the end of Frankie's bed. If they were going to have a prolonged conversation, Lola wasn't going to be able to just stand there the whole time. "Yeah, I'm fine." Her voice was layered with a bit of surprise. She honestly didn't expect Frankie to approach her with kindness, even with her injury. She had known Frankie for years now and she usually wasn't really the type to drop petty stuff for the sake of a serious moment. Even now, when they were out of high school and entering adulthood.

"Is everything okay between us?" Frankie asked, reaching over and trying to place a hand on Lola's shoulder but barely being able to touch the tips of her fingers to Lola's body. She retreated back to her more comfortable sitting up position instead of trying to stretch herself across the bed to physically comfort Lola, which Lola was honestly okay with.

"Uh, I don't know… Is it?" Lola was extremely confused right now. She was expecting Frankie to go nuclear on her for snagging a personal note from Frankie's belongings, but right now Frankie was acting like she was the one who needed to apologize. Everything felt off this morning and Lola couldn't quite shake the uneasy feeling. "I hope so." Frankie seemed to conclude the conversation. So. Weird. "You know, you'd probably be better off borrowing that white cutout monokini I have. It always kinda sagged on my butt so it should fit yours perfectly."

Lola furrowed her brows. She was so confused by Frankie's kind demeanor, but if this meant she didn't have to deal with a dramatic confrontation, she was definitely fine with breezing past whatever the heck was going on with Frankie for now. She had way too much on her mind to worry about yet another thing, especially since whatever was going on with Frankie was honestly none of Lola's business. Eventually Lola would want the hot gossip and she was sure she'd start questioning her friend about the note she found if Frankie didn't spill the beans in the near future, but for now… Lola was okay just letting this drama be glossed over.

"Thanks?" Lola said, getting up from the bed and going back to Frankie's bathing suit drawer to grab the bathing suit Frankie had mentioned, which honestly seemed to be a great call. Now all she had to do was figure out an easy way to get dressed by herself and she was going to be off to a romantic sunrise swim sesh with the man of her dreams.


	23. Chapter 23

Enjoy some fluff :) Review and follow this story as well as my other stories! I'm trying to get better about uploading new chapters and eventually I'd like to be posting at least one chapter a day!

As Lola got the bathing suit she had borrowed from Frankie slipped onto her body with only minor difficulty, she worried about whether or not she was going to be able to keep a clear mind. The image of floating around in the pool with the most gorgeous boy she had ever seen seemed like a recipe for a total brain wipe, but as she went over all of the stuff that had went down recently, her mind was going to be a tough slate to wipe clean, she thought. But she was going to do everything in her power to focus on Miles. He deserved that much and more.

Lola checked her phone once again before hobbling to the pool. Still zero messages. What on earth was happening? She looked to see how her signal was and was met with a symbol at the top of her screen that she hadn't noticed earlier and had never seen before. What did this mean? She threw her phone to the side when she realized that she had been standing in a doorway for at least a couple of minutes. The sun was going up and she was missing what was sure to be a beautiful sight all to stare at her phone. Her priorities were clearly not straight.

With her crutches digging deep into her bare armpits, Lola headed toward the pool at last. She stepped outside and was met with the most pleasant air she thought she'd ever breathed in. The temperature outside was perfect. And as she looked at the beautiful sky, then to Miles, who was busy blowing up a hot pool float shaped like a heart, she thought this may be the most at peace she had ever been. Every single thing that was plaguing her mind melted away like a bar of chocolate on a hot day. She felt nothing but pure bliss.

This was what she had spent years pining for. This was true happiness, like she'd seen in all of those romantic comedies. Maybe Kate Hudson wasn't a total liar.

"This is the best." Lola said, hobbling over to Miles.

"You're the best." Miles replied, plugging up the pool float and pushing it toward Lola. "I figure you can sit on it and I'll just move the float into the pool. Cool?"

"The coolest." Lola smiled. She set her crutches aside and finished the walk toward Miles and the float putting the bare minimum of pressure on her injured toe. She probably looked ridiculous hopping and hobbling, but again, she was truly too happy to pay that thought any mind. Miles helped Lola lower herself onto the float and then scooted the hot pink floatation device into the Hollingsworth pool. Lola felt a small splash of cool water on her skin as the float impacted the water and became overwhelmed with the urge to just jump into the water. The little bit that she felt was so refreshing. If only she hadn't hurt her stupid toe.

Miles entered the pool after Lola, cautiously lowering himself into the cool water, bracing himself by gritting his teeth and inhaling sharply. As he stepped further into the pool, though, Lola noticed his face begin to relax and a sense of ease play across his features.

Every moment she looked at him he became more and more beautiful, to the point where it almost hurt Lola to see. Miles was different than anyone Lola had ever met. He made her feel things that she had never even gotten close to feeling with any person, romantic or platonic. He just seemed to fit into her life in a way that she didn't even know she was missing.

"I love you." Lola said suddenly.

Miles swam over to her and grabbed her hand. "Lola..." He began, but Lola cut him off. She wasn't done yet.

"When I'm with you…" She paused to think, but the words weren't coming out. She was just going to have to shut off her brain and let her heart do the talking. "When I'm with you my heart feels like a piñata hanging on a tree at a birthday party. It feels so full and so… surrounded with anticipation for the future? I know that sounds dumb, but do you get what I'm saying? Like… the rest of my body is just standing back, looking at my heart as it hangs by this string. Every fiber of my being is so full of excitement and nerves to see what my heart is full of. And it's amazing, because you know… my heart is full of love for you, so it's great."

Lola stopped for a moment to gauge if Miles was even comprehending what was going on. Whenever she tried to express her feelings to Tiny, he always had this puzzled look on his face. Like how Lola looked in math class. But Miles was just standing there intently listening, so invested in what Lola had to say.

"But it's also scary. Because you know, I'm hanging by this string… And in order to break open that piñata I have to risk breaking my heart. I feel so vulnerable, like I could just be smacked down onto the ground at any minute."

Lola avoided looking at Miles for a moment, simply staring at the rising sun and enjoying the view. She had let herself get so caught up in these intense feelings she was having for Miles and the metaphor that had come out of nowhere that she had barely taken a moment to take in how gorgeous the Hollingsworth pool was at sunrise. She could wake up here every morning.

"So…yeah." Lola trailed off, realizing that a few moments had gone by where neither of them had said a word. Awkward. Maybe this wasn't the right time to whip out 'I love you'. Or maybe he thought she was insane because she compared one of her internal organs to something people beat open with baseball bats at birthday parties for five year olds. Her eyes met Miles's as she tried to figure out his reaction before he spoke.

"This is the best moment of my life so far." Miles said. "No doubt in my mind. I have never been happier or experienced as much beauty than I am in this moment, right now."

Lola felt that too. All she wanted was to hop off of the pool float into the water, wrap her legs around Miles's waist and kiss him until the sun finished rising and began beaming down on the two of them. There was nothing in the world that could possibly feel better than this felt right now.

"I think we made the right decision to go for a swim, don't you?" Lola said, gripping and squeezing Miles's hand with what felt like all of the power of the love inside her body. She was surprised she wasn't breaking his fingers.

Miles stood on the tips of his toes to reach his lips up and kiss Lola's. "I think you've never been more right."


End file.
